


Silent Secret

by MissMonk



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-16
Updated: 2016-03-16
Packaged: 2018-05-27 04:39:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6269989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMonk/pseuds/MissMonk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stefan & Elena inadvertently discover a mystery leading them to Damon's biggest secret. {Character-studyish of Damon told from Stefan's POV}</p>
            </blockquote>





	Silent Secret

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on FF.net and like...I guess it sucked cause nobody reviewed, but here it is for you to read.

The rain pounded hard on the windows outside of Elena Gilbert’s house, but the two occupants inside didn’t seem to notice it. Snuggled together on the couch in front of a roaring fire, the two seemed to be in a world of their own. Stefan gave a relaxed sigh as he leaned his head on the back of the couch and closed his eyes, extending his hearing to focus on the random sounds that were normal to a house. Hearing it groan slightly as the foundation settled, the ticks of the clocks throughout, and a slight drip from Jenna’s bathroom sink that he made a mental note to fix for her before it drove his nuts hit his ears.

The most prominent sound though was a loud thumping that pounded in his ears and reverberated throughout his entire body, and that was the sound of Elena Gilberts heart as she laid her head on his lap and read silently. Stefan swallowed as his throat dried up and he squeezed his eyes shut as hard as possible trying to control himself. He would never hurt Elena, he loved her and would do anything to protect her, but ignoring the fact that the constant need to rip through her throat and drink her blood until she’s completely drained would be stupid and irresponsible.

Stefan opened his eyes a moment later as he felt Elena shift from her spot and scoot a few inches away from him. He looked at her confused but relaxed after seeing her small smile that graced her beautiful face.

“Hey.” He said softly, reaching over the back of the couch to run his fingers through her silky brown hair. “What’s wrong?” He asked her.

Elena closed the book she was reading, one of Jonathan Gilbert’s journals that they had taken from the lake house cabin, and looked over at him. Stefan swallowed again, his dry throat feeling as if it were rubbing against itself as he saw a faint blush rise to her cheeks.

“It’s nothing, I just, I noticed you stopped breathing and you looked like you were in pain.” She said quietly, turning her head to look at the fire. Stefan took the moment to grimace, berating himself for not hiding it better. Elena was far too observant for his liking at times.

“I’m fine Elena.” He told her softly, and she turned to look back at him, her big brown eyes staring at him, making him feel as if she could see right through him into the darkest recesses of his soul.

Considering how much he’d learned the past year about the supernatural world and doppelgangers, he wouldn’t really be surprised if she could.

“When was the last time you fed Stefan?” She asked concerned. “I know you’ve been concerned about me and spending more time with me but you have to take care of yourself too.”

Stefan could only nod his head in agreement. She was right about everything, as she typically was. With the threat of Klaus coming closer he was almost afraid to leave her alone. Not that there was much he could do against and Original but he felt more secure knowing he was with her than leaving her without any protection. That had already ended badly more than once and Stefan was determined to not allow it to happen again.

However all his time spent with Elena, protecting her, being with her, he knew he had a tendency to not take care and hunt as much as he probably should considering how many humans he was surrounded by. His diet of animals made him weaker than his brother or any other vampire that fed on human blood regularly already. The animal blood didn’t keep the hunger at bay as long and therefore he had to feed more to keep the bloodlust in check.

“I know, I’ll go out tonight. I’ll be fine for now.” He told her with a placating smile, and lightly brushed the back of his finger against her cheek. It felt warm to the touch and he felt the ache in his chest again. He quickly lowered his arm and moved to a chair on the other end of the couch opposite Elena and gave her a sheepish smile.

With a light laugh tinged with a look still with concern Elena sat back against the couch and re-opened the journal she was reading. Stefan watched her intently, loving the way she caressed the pages lovingly and carefully with each turn, the way her fingers would glide across them as if they could absorb the words. He watched her turn the page again, watched her as her eyes roamed back and forth reading the words written on the pages before her brow knitted in confusion and she reached into the book and picked up some kind of card.

“What is that?” Stefan asked curiously, ignoring his own warning and coming back to sit next to her as she turned it around and her eyes widened.

Stefan gasped as he looked over at the card in her hand. It was an old black and white photo that was encompassed in a stock card paper for protection like the one he had had of Katherine. He took it from her quickly, turning it over to read the neatly scrawled words from Jonathan Gilbert. It simply read: “Arietta, 1861”

Flipping it over again Stefan stared stunned at the photo. It was of a little girl, about age 5 which wasn’t so special in itself. However the remarkable thing that caused his dead heart to beat slightly faster was her appearance and her resemblance to his brother. Though the photo was aged in a sepia color now he could easily tell the little girl had long raven black hair and her eyes were a light color, though if they were blue or not he couldn’t tell. She had the same facial features as Damon right down to the soft bright smile that caused an ache in his heart from having not seen it since they were human.

“What is this?” He asked mostly to himself as he stared at the little girl. Elena turned back to the journal in her hand, using her fingers to go over the lines, scanning it for any and all information that they can get from it, knowing that there had to be a reason why her ancestor had a photo of a little girl who looked like her friend.

“Here, he wrote about it.” Elena said, bringing the book closer to her face to read it better. “He had gone to Boston on a business trip.” She explained before starting to read aloud. _“It was a beautiful day today, which I was glad for. The rain had caused me to feel slightly down lately and I needed a bit of sunlight before I began my journey back to Mystic Falls. I decided to take a walk that morning and enjoy the fresh air. For the first time since I’ve arrived children were playing in the surrounding streets, their gales of laughter lifting my heart and making wish I were home with my own children once again._

_That was when I saw her. She was hard to miss with her black hair and stunning blue eyes. She was easily the most beautiful child in the bunch. However it was the resemblance to my good friend Giuseppe’s son that caused me to pause. How it was possible I did not know, but the little girl could be an almost exact carbon copy of young Mr. Salvatore._

_A woman came up to me, noticing my staring and inquired as to what I was doing and I informed her of the child’s resemblance. The woman, a teacher at a local prestigious boarding school where the child lived, was just as intrigued as I was. She informed me of the child’s name and that she was an orphan and permitted me to pay for a photo to take back to Giuseppe. Arietta Aconi was her name.”_

Elena stopped reading and looked over at the photo that Stefan still stared at in his hand. His mind was reeling at the possibilities. He had no doubt that his brother held many secrets, most of which he may never discover, but Stefan didn’t think he would hide something as important as this from him. However the proof in his hands was undeniable. It could have been a random occurrence, but something inside of him argued against it.

The girl just looked too much like Damon, from the size and shape of her nose to the slight arch of her eyebrows. He could argue against the possibility all he wanted but unless his brother had a doppelganger of his own in a female version, the only explanation would be a genetic one.

Lowering the picture Stefan looked over into the journal re-reading what Elena had just read aloud to him, desperate for any other information, but none was to be found as it was the end of the journal and the others were still at the lake house.

“Is Arietta, is she Damon’s?” Elena asked him, and he shook his head.

“I don’t know.” He said simply.

******

Stefan bid goodnight to Elena not long after that. Between the hunger he was feeling and the confusion over the photo, his mind was no longer with her.

His first instinct was to rush to the boarding house and find Damon, show him the photo and demand answers from him. But even on a good day that would be a difficult task and Damon hadn’t been in a mood lately with Katherine hanging around.

Stefan let out a wary sigh at that reminder. He didn’t blame Damon for being in such a foul mood, the woman had played with him, toyed with his emotions and his brother had fallen hard only to have his heart broken. Not just broken, shattered, stepped on and tossed in the garbage. As if being told she never loved him wasn’t enough for her, she had to tell him she was in love with Stefan, driving a further wedge between the brothers.

Instead of going home right away knowing it would be a struggle he decided to hunt, to feed. He hadn’t in a while and Stefan could feel himself growing weaker. He stowed the photo that Elena had allowed him to take safely away in the car and he went out into the forest to feed the hunger that burned inside of him.

It was nearly sunrise when Stefan arrived at the boarding house, the hunger now under better control. He sat down tiredly on the couch in the parlor, debating if he wanted to even bother going to sleep or not. He had school in a few hours and he didn’t want to leave Elena unprotected, though he knew Caroline and Bonnie were there so she wouldn’t be completely alone.

Instead he sat there in the silence of the house, staring at the fireplace that had long grown cold as the embers died out, letting his mind wander over everything. The consideration of skipping school with Elena to go collect the other journals crossed his mind many times as well but each time Stefan dismissed it, knowing how important normal was right now for her.

“Well, look who finally decided to come home.” Damon’s voice broke through his thoughts. He looked away from the fire to stare at his brother, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. He was already dressed in his typical black shirt and jeans and the ever present smirk upon his face. “Should I be worried and having the ‘anti-drug/sex talk?’” He mocked.

It was seeing Damon that Stefan’s tired mind cleared completely and remembered the photo that lay in the inside pocket of his jacket. He wanted to rip it out and shove it in Damon’s face and demand answers, to find out the truth, though what truth he wanted to hear he wasn’t sure.

On one hand he wanted to hear his brother deny it, that it was just a coincidence. That it was impossible for the little girl in the photo to be his or that he had anything to do with it at all. The other hand though, he would love for it to be true.

It had been a thought that had been in the back of his mind since he first saw the photo, not daring to allow it to come to the front and bounce around in his head. The idea that he could have family out there somewhere made him ache and yearn for something he hadn’t had in a long time. He knew he had Sarah Nelson, his niece many times removed, but he had never felt a connection to that line of family. Stefan barely knew his half-brother; he felt no love for the man or his descendants. The only thing that kept him connected to them was that they were family by blood.

A child, though obviously passed away was something entirely different. The line would be through Damon, through his brother. The one he grew up with and worshiped when they were human, and even somewhat after they turned, though Stefan would never admit that even under duress. The prospect of having that family, and knowing them warmed Stefan’s heart in a way he hadn’t felt in over a century and a half.

“Earth to Stefan.” Damon said waiving his hand in front of Stefan’s face. He blinked a few times and looked up at his brother who stood above him now, brow narrowed in some sort of wary concern. “What’s up with you?” Damon asked him.

Stefan just stared at his brother for a moment, gathering his thoughts, debating what to say. To blurt it out making accusations would be a major mistake that could force his brother to close up on the topic indefinitely.

“Who is Arietta?” Stefan asked him quietly despite just telling himself not to. He watched as Damon’s brows narrowed further and he looked away as in thought for a second before looking back at Stefan.

“I have no idea Stefan.” He said standing up again. Stefan watched his brother walk away behind the couch and pour himself a drink, drinking it down in one gulp and refilling the glass but giving no other indication he was hiding anything.

Stefan stood up from his position on the couch and walked around towards his brother, pulling the photo from inside his coat, turning to show it to him as he stepped in front of Damon, watching him intently.

He met Damon’s stare, not wavering until he looked from Stefan to the photo in confusion. The reaction from his brother was one he had never witnessed before. The annoyed curiosity that Damon had started with slowly melted into shock as he looked at the photo in Stefan’s hand. It unnerved Stefan slightly to see Damon’s wide eyes moisten very slightly with tears that he knew wouldn’t fall as his brother clinched his jaw tightly.

It was all the confirmation he needed.

“Who is Arietta?” He asked again, softer than before, but Damon just shook his head, unable to answer, as he reached out hesitantly for the picture, unable to tear his eyes away from it. Stefan let him take it from him, lowering his hand, but not stepping away from his brother. He watched slightly awed as Damon slowly raised his other hand to gently move his fingers over it, as if he could wipe away some of the damage done by age.

Stefan didn’t say anything, not wanting to break the reverie that seemed to encompass the room. Instead he stood there unblinkingly, watching his brother as he drank up the image of the mystery child. He wasn’t sure how long they stood like that but too soon the sound of Stefan’s phone ringing broke the peace of the room brining everything back to the present. He closed his eyes and mentally cursed whoever it was that was calling, and kicking himself for not putting his phone on silent.

Opening his eyes again to pull out his phone He noticed with dismay that the trance that Damon had been in a moment before had been broken. The photo now lay on the table and his brother was drinking another tumbler of bourbon like his life depended on it.

Glancing at his phone he took note that Elena had called and he shut off his phone not wanting any further interruptions before giving his full attention back to Damon, waiting expectantly for him to say something.

Damon said nothing, instead continuing to drink.

“Damon.” Stefan started again, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at Damon expectantly. The dark haired man returned his brothers look with a quirked eyebrow as if not sure what Stefan was waiting for. It pissed Stefan off, his brother was closed off now and he still wanted answers.

“Stefan.” He mocked, angering Stefan further, though if he was mad at Damon, himself or Elena at the moment he wasn’t quite sure.

“Who is she?” He pressed and Damon shrugged his shoulders, quirking his lips into that ever present smirk.

“Hell if I know Stefan. But based off the name on the back I’m going to say it’s your mystery girl ‘Arietta’” he stated, starting to walk around Stefan.

Stefan however wouldn’t let it go at that, needing answers, so he grabbed onto Damon’s arm holding him there and narrowed his eyes at him. “Damon, seriously, is she-“

“If you’re going to ask what I think you’re going to ask.”

“Yours?” Stefan finished.

“Stefan…”

“Is she your daughter Damon?” Stefan pressed.

He watched as Damon’s features went from casual amusement to anger, darkening into the Damon most people saw, the one that they feared and rightfully so. Damon wretched his arm away from Stefan quickly and then pushed him across the room into the wall, his arm over his neck pressing hard. Though he had just fed, Stefan knew he was no match for Damon; he never was and never would be even if he was on human blood. Damon had consistently fed on humans since they turned making him infinitely more powerful than him.

However unlike anyone or anything else Stefan wasn’t afraid of him. He knew there was no way that Damon would hurt him in any serious way. If anything, Stefan was the one person, other than Elena that Damon would never harm. With that in mind he pressed on, desperately needing the answers he sought. Damon’s reaction had given him enough of a confirmation but now he needed the words, the proof before he could really believe it.

“Damon, tell me.” He wheezed out through his blocked passageways. “Who is she?”

Damon stared at him hard in the eyes but Stefan didn’t waiver, didn’t back down. That would show weakness and right now he had to be strong if he wanted Damon to tell him anything.

Just as he felt he was going to pass out and his neck was going to break, Damon blinked a few times before finally releasing him. Stefan coughed a few times falling to the floor, feeling the bruises on his neck start to fade as he leaned against the wall. He felt Damon’s gaze on him and he looked up and met it, but instead of the hard angry look he had seen just moments before, it was replaced instead with a sad almost vulnerable gaze, one he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

“Let it go Stefan.” Damon told him softly. It almost scared him.

“I need to know Damon, who is she?” He pressed, pushing himself up and away from the wall and moving towards Damon.

“It doesn’t matter. It never mattered.” The reply came sounding distant. A tear escaped unchecked down Damon’s cheek, making Stefan’s undead heart beat a little harder again at the sheer emotion that Damon was expressing. He watched Damon look down at the photo again, once again running his fingers over it as if he could touch the little girl in it.

Stefan swallowed, his mind racing on how to go about handling this side of Damon, it being new territory. “It does matter Damon.” He told him earnestly. “She’s a part of you. She’s family.”

“She’s dead Stefan.” Damon bit out angrily, His eyes back on Stefan and flashing with familiar anger.

“She could have had family. We could have family Damon. Your family, your descendants. That matters Damon.” Stefan exclaimed, placing his hands on Damon’s shoulders, squeezing them gently as he tried to convey what he felt and hoped that his brother would get it.

But Damon just shook his head and pushed Stefan away from him glaring. “Let it go.” He bit out and before Stefan could reply, he heard the front door slam and Damon was gone.

Suddenly feeling more exhausted than before Stefan slumped to the floor, letting his head bump on the carpet and stared up at the ceiling. He had already known that getting answers from Damon would be difficult, so his reaction, while some of it was; most of it wasn’t a surprise. Still, Damon’s reaction to the inquiry and the photo peaked Stefan’s curiosity more in a way that he knew he would never be satisfied until he got the full truth, with or without Damon’s help.

***

Pushing another trunk out of the way, Stefan knelt on the floor in front of it and pushed the lid opened. As with the other three he had already gone through the trunk was full of papers and other keepsakes from the life of one Giuseppe Salvatore.

After taking an impromptu nap on the parlor floor, Stefan decided that he wasn’t going to follow Damon’s request and let it go. He wanted more information, he wanted to find the girls family. So with that in mind and knowing Damon would be of no help, he decided to start searching by going through his father’s things, and that is where he had spent the last four hours.

It baffled him how much stuff his family collected through the years, and he was guilty about the same thing. Sorting through the masses of documents, correspondence, reports and other items, Stefan made a mental note to consider calling in an appraiser to figure out what was valuable and what was junk, and finally start getting rid of things like Damon had requested almost forty years ago.

He was lost in his own thoughts digging through the trunks when he heard the door open in shut. He paused in his actions and held his breath, listening to hear if Damon had come home. To his relief he heard Elena shout his name and he let his body relax slightly.

Pulling out his phone, he sent her a text, knowing she wouldn’t hear him from up in the attic, giving her directions on how to get there. Five minutes later her footsteps could be heard clomping up the attic stairs as she sneezed a couple times, obviously allergic to the dust.

“Hey you.” She greeted walking further into the open room. Stefan gave her a smile and stood up to kiss her, suddenly really glad that she was there. Her presence always seemed to sooth his mind and body and right now he needed it. “Why weren’t you in school today?” she asked him.

Stefan got back on the floor in front of the trunk indicating what he had been doing all day before diving back into the trunk. He felt Elena set her backpack down and sit next to him, grabbing an odd piece of paper randomly from the pile and reading it.

“So what are we looking for?” Elena asked him, setting the paper back in the trunk and grabbing another one.

“I’m looking for anything that may have anything to do with Arietta.” Stefan stated simply, not looking at her as he read through his stack.

“Damon confessed then? He’s her father?” Elena asked surprised. Stefan nodded slightly.

“More or less, leaning towards less. He told me to let it go.”

“But you’re not going to are you?” She asked knowingly.

“Of course not. She’s my family too. So I’m looking through fathers’ stuff, seeing if he left some kind of paper trail.” He explained.

“Why would your father have anything to do with this? It was Damon’s mistake.” Elena stated grabbing a stack. Stefan paused at that but decided not to comment on her use of ‘mistake’.

“The photo is from 1861 and she looked to be around five years old. Which would put Damon at sixteen or seventeen, which means father would have to have been involved in some way.” Stefan explained.

Next to him Elena gave a snort and he looked over at her confused. She had a big knowing grin on her face as she cocked her head to the side rolling her eyes. “No offense but knowing Damon it was probably just some prostitute he knocked up.” She stated crassly.

Stefan stiffened and narrowed his eyes at her. For the first time since he’s known her he was annoyed at Elena. “You do not get to speak about him that way Elena. You don’t know Damon as a human.” He bit out going back to his pile. He could sense Elena’s slight distress at his tone but he didn’t really care at the moment.

Stefan would be the first in line to announce all of Damon’s failures, first behind Damon himself. But what everyone understandably fails to realize is that his brother was an entirely different person when he was alive. He was someone he loved and looked up to. He was his older brother, the one who protected him from monsters and taught him how to fend for himself. Who helped him with lessons and read to him almost every day. There was no way in hell Stefan was going to let anyone shatter that person, those memories.

“I’m sorry Stefan; I didn’t mean anything by it.” Elena attempted to apologize. He looked over at her for a moment before leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

“I know, I’m sorry I snapped at you.” He said. “I just, he wasn’t like he is now.” He said despondently, sighing heavily. With one more kiss to Elena he turned back to his stack, still determined to find something though he knew it was a long shot.

They worked in silence for a little bit, neither really sure what to say to the other. The situation was a weird one and Stefan felt too invested in its outcome to stop. He was well aware that there were more important things to worry about like Klaus but he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the little girl.

“You never talk about it.” Elena said, breaking the silence. He looked back to her confused. “When you were human. Aside from some points that involved Katherine, I have no idea what either of you were like back then.”

“It was a long time ago.” Stefan stated, not missing the irony of his words that echoed Damon’s earlier.

“Yeah but, I’m still curious, I still want to know. I want to know all of you.” She pleaded. “You said Damon was different, you just defended him by snapping at me. Obviously his human version was important to you. Why don’t you tell me?”

Stefan sighed again and set aside the stack of papers in his lap he had just finished and grabbed another big pile from the trunk. He could feel her eyes on him, willing him to give in and tell his tale. He resisted a bit, not wanting to delve into the past. He and Damon had been very close before Katherine and he held those memories close to him. However, once again irony set in as he had earlier practically begged Damon to tell him his own past.

He licked his lips and handed her the stack he was reading, reaching in for another one for himself, indicating they would still be looking while he told her.

“Back when we were human,” Stefan started. “We were both different. While we were blessed with fortune and education both Damon and I knew nothing really of the world and was therefore very ignorant, very innocent.

I looked up to Damon. Being seven years older than I, he was my role model; I wanted to be just like him.”

“That is so weird to hear, anyone wanting to be like Damon Salvatore.” Elena commented.

“Well like I said, we were different.” Stefan continued. “Our father was a very stern and very strict. More so with Damon than myself. I used to think it was because I was the baby but I genuinely believe that my father truly hated him.”

“That’s not possible. A parent doesn’t hate their children.” Elena protested earnestly. Stefan always wanted to believe that but there was too much evidence to the contrary. He had denied it while human, refusing to acknowledge what was plainly in front of him. Only years of contemplation had brought the truth to light and it pained him that he hadn’t done anything about it before when it mattered.

“You weren’t there Elena. You didn’t see the things that I did. There was genuine hate there. But no matter what father did to him Damon was always the better man. He was sweet and kind. If someone needed help or was in trouble he would always do what he can for them. He was very involved in town activities and people liked him well enough.” Stefan told her.

“I noticed that about him you know.” Elena said off handedly. Stefan looked at her for a second, trying to figure out what she meant. Elena must have sense his gaze because she looked up from the papers and smiled at him. “His involvement in the town. Ever since he showed up he’s been to every event and participated in all the charity functions, group projects whatever. He may grumble about it and make snarky remarks, but he’s always there.”

Stefan nodded, understanding what she meant now. “I think he took pride in his work for Mystic Falls, and despite what he says or does even now he’s still working to make it a good place.”

“Of course he is, it’s his home.” Elena stated understanding.

Stefan turned back to his stack thinking on that. Since his return to Mystic Falls his brother had assimilated himself into just about everything involving the town, even going so far as to earning a place on the secret council. Stefan was concerned at first about Damon’s motive to be so involved but after a while he stopped, as the town seemed to be much better with Damon so deeply involved.

“Well, regardless of anything he did Damon didn’t have many if any friends. He stayed to himself mostly or watched out for me.” He said distantly. “He was my best friend.”

“Did you have many friends?” Elena asked, curiosity peaking in her voice. Stefan glanced at her again and giving a smirk as she leaned against a nearby box, obviously enthralled in his tale.

“I had a few. Being a founding family we were limited on who we were permitted to socialize with so there obviously weren’t that many. Back then kids didn’t just go hang out at each other’s houses and play and such, they stayed home and entertained themselves and had lessons. Sometimes I would get to play tag or some other game with some of the younger slaves my family had owned.” He explained, bracing himself slightly for any backfire from his family having once owned them.

“Lessons? What kind of lessons?” She asked him.

“School basically. There was no community school in Mystic Falls until the later part of the century, so children were educated at home. Being from money both Damon and I had private tutors and were stuck in lessons for hours upon hours.” He said sighing dramatically at the reminder causing Elena to laugh. “It wasn’t all bad though. Some of my favorite memories were afternoons when we were finished and Damon and I would sit under this gigantic tree near the edge of the property. He would spread a blanket out so we wouldn’t get too dirty and he would lean against the tree doing his own school work while I was nearby reciting Latin verbs and spelling or just my reading, and he would help me with it while we snacked on apples and drank iced tea or lemonade.”

Stefan couldn’t help the smile on his face as he remembered those times. He had always felt closer to his brother in those times as it was just the two of them. No mother or father, guests or slaves around to overhear or interrupt. Stefan had felt free to ask his brother anything and talk openly about whatever he wanted and Damon was always honest with him and never laughed or mocked him.

“I’m kind of surprised your father allowed you to be so close to Damon from what you said. If he hated him so and loved you, why would he let you be anywhere near him? And why would he pay for private tutors and such for Damon?” Elena asked him curiously.

Stefan thought about it for a moment, already knowing the answer. He had spent over a century and a half contemplating it. The only thing he could come up with, based off his father’s journals is that he knew that Damon would be loyal to Stefan and that is why he permitted it. He’s never admitted that part out loud and he wasn’t about to do it now either.

“The Salvatore’s had a reputation to uphold, as you are well aware of being a Gilbert. Regardless of what happened inside the home, it was very important to my father that the outside looked picture perfect, and that included making sure your son’s both had the best education money could buy.”  

“That’s the second time you’ve alluded to something terrible that happened at home. What is it that your father did?” She interrupted again.

That was one thing Stefan didn’t want to get into, but he knew there was no way around it once he agreed to tell her more about his and Damon’s life. He was well aware of how Damon would react if he ever found out that Stefan gave such details even to Elena. It was something he knew that Damon had never really gotten over but had spent his undead life forgetting about it and putting it past him, though he could tell in the moments when Damon was unstable and truly sadistic that their father’s ‘lessons’ would come out for all to see.

It always pained him to see Damon like that, which is why, against what everyone else tells him, why he always tries to do everything in his power to have Damon calm and sane because he didn’t want Damon hurting either himself or others, and Damon had a lot of rage. How could he not when he spent his entire human life being beaten, punched, kicked, burnt, degraded and belittled.

The most prominent memory that still haunted Stefan even today was when he was nine years old, and his father had caught Damon teaching a couple of the slaves to read and write their names. He had dragged Damon to the back yard near the slave quarters where neither of them was ever permitted to go. Stefan had heard the commotion and had snuck out and followed them, but he wished he hadn’t as he watched his father whip his brothers back until it was lined with blood and Damon’s horrible screams of pain filled his ears.

Once Mable, his maid put him to bed that night, Stefan snuck out of his room and to Damon’s to see for himself that he was alright. The sight of his brother laying on his bed, staring at the fire while one of the maids, Ida gently cleaned the wounds on Damon’s back. He didn’t know what to think or say to his brother so he just sat next to his brother on his bed and ran his tiny fingers through Damon’s black hair in a soothing manner. Damon had made him promise to never mention it, never think about it and it was a promise he was going to keep, even now.

“Let’s just say, if he did what he did in today’s society, he would probably be in prison for a very long time, and Damon and I would be in foster care.” Stefan stated, turning away from her as his eyes moistened and tears threatened to fall. “Just leave it at that Elena.”

He felt Elena place her hand on his back and run it soothingly in small circles. They sat in quiet for a while, with Stefan distracting himself with the letters and notes in front of him and Elena doing the same, keeping her hand on his back in a calming manner. The only sound filling the attic space was the sounds of papers being crinkled and moved.

“Stefan…” Elena started hesitantly. Stefan looked back to her curiously. “I know you don’t want to talk about this anymore but, if Damon was basically friendless and alone, how did Arietta come to be?”

“That, Elena, is why I’m here digging through all this dusty paperwork. I can’t figure it out. I mean I was only ten but I don’t recall Damon mentioning or being around any females other than the slaves my family owned.” He knew after the lashing he got Damon would not have gone back to them. He would be too afraid of the repercussions of doing so.

Silence once again descended between them, each lost in their own task. He kept his hearing trained to the front door for any sound of Damon coming back from wherever he had escaped too after their fight. Stefan wanted to go after him and find him but this could be his only opportunity to go through all the junk in front of him. However he was under no illusion that his brother would be royally pissed if or when he found out what Stefan was up to.

“Uh, Stefan…” Elena’s voice broke through his own thoughts and he turned again to give her his attention. She was staring at a browned piece of paper with her mouth agape and eyes wide. Leaning over her shoulder to read it he felt his own jaw drop as he read the words on the aged paper.

“Damon was married?” He exclaimed.

***

“Damon, I need you to answer your phone and come home, like now.” Stefan said into the phone and hung up again. He had been pacing back and forth in the parlor for the better part of an hour now, calling his brothers phone every ten minutes. So far that had been no reply from his brother and Stefan was feeling tense as the annoyance built up inside of him.

Elena currently sat on the sofa in front of the newly built fire staring back and forth between the photo that Damon had left and the marriage certificate.

To say he was stunned would be an understatement. He had no clue how his brother went about getting married and him not knowing about it. Obviously it must have been an impulse marriage as the large old stamp across it annulling the marriage just over a year later declared.

“That’s your tenth message Stefan. He’ll get it and he’ll call or come back.” Elena said, finally putting the papers down looking up at Stefan.

Stefan threw a glance in her direction not stopping in his pacing as he looked back down at his phone. “He was married Elena.” He said angrily.

“I know that Stefan.” She stated firmly. He stopped for a moment and threw an apologetic look at her.

“I’m sorry Elena, I’m not angry at you. I’m just…really frustrated.” He stated through a clenched jaw.

“I know Stefan.”

“It’s just, he was married. As in, there was some woman in his life that he loved enough to commit to. Some woman that I have no clue about.” He ranted, not hearing her. “There was nobody around. Nobody! Trust me; I followed him around like a pathetic lost puppy dog. I knew everything about him, what he did, who he associated with which wasn’t anybody.”

“Stefan, you don’t-“

“Why wouldn’t he tell me Elena? I’m his brother. His only brother, his only family. I’m the only one who cared about him when we were humans.”

“Well apparently not.” Elena commented quietly and he stopped in his pacing. She gave him a soft look and he felt some of the frustration leave him.

“He was always home Elena. Unless there was some social obligation he was required to attend or something to do with the committees he was on, he was home with me. If he was married for over a year where was she?” Finally he sat down next to her on the couch, closing his eyes and resting his head against the back.

“Could it have been someone from one of the committees? Or they could have just been an excuse to get out of the house?” Elena offered helpfully.

“It couldn’t be.” He sighed out. “My father would have known if it was. Only the privileged members of the town were on any of them and as I’m sure you know they were little gossips. Something like that, involving a founding family member would not go unnoticed. Plus father kept a close watch on everywhere we went.”

“Again, apparently not.” She replied sympathetically.

Elena moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and placing random kisses long his temple and jaw. He felt so comforted with her, and was glad for her presence. Glad that he wasn’t going through this alone like he had done with so many other things throughout his long life. It felt good to have someone to go through it with.

“This has been a really weird, stressful twenty-four hours for you Stefan. I know you want answers but you’re going to have to calm down.” Elena said running her fingers through his short hair. Stefan closed his eyes, loving the feeling of the gentle pull. “You know Damon, you go in hot and he’ll just fight you on it.”

“I can’t help it Elena.” He confessed softly.

“I know, but if you want to know you’ll have to be the calm one.” She advised.

Stefan could feel his entire body relaxing into her embrace and felt as though he could actually fall asleep right there. It was a tempting idea that really pulled at Stefan’s mind and body. He had barely slept in so long and Elena’s warm body next to him lulled him into a sense of security and peace and he closed his eyes, laying his head upon hers.

Until the loud sound of the door opening and then slamming shut caused his eyes to fly open as he watched his brother stroll into the parlor, immediately going to where the bourbon was. He was glad that Elena had refilled the crystal bottle earlier as they were all going to be needing it.

“I’m here brother dear, and just for future reference, one voicemail is just as effective as eleven.” He smirked.

“I only called ten.”

“Actually I counted twelve plus two texts.” Elena cut in, pulling slightly away from Stefan. He watched Damon roll his eyes before coming around the couch and sitting on the one across from them.

“Alright brother, what is so important that you so desperately wanted me to come home?” Damon inquired as he took a long drink from the glass tumbler in his hand. Stefan felt Elena’s hand on his leg, twitching her fingers slightly in a calming method, reminding him to keep his head. Taking a deep breath, Stefan reached over to Elena’s other side and picked up the paper they had been reading over and over again for the past hour.

“Who is Claire Dalton?” He asked simply, not taking his eyes off of his brother.

He watched with his muscles tight, ready for whatever Damon would throw at him as Damon stared right back at him, not even flinching at the name.

“Who?” Damon asked, quirking one of his brows up and cocking his head to the side.

Irritation coursed through Stefan at Damon’s blatant denial and he stood up from his seat, ignoring Elena’s hand as she tried to stop him.

“Don’t play dumb with me Damon.” He shouted shoving the marriage certificate directly in his face. “Even you aren’t so callous as to marry some random girl you don’t know. Or maybe you are since I obviously have no idea who she is.”

“Was Stefan. She’s dead.” Damon glared grabbing the paper from Stefan’s hand and tossing it on the couch bedside him. “I thought I told you to drop this.”

“Yeah you did, but I’m not Damon, you know why? Because you’re my brother and this is important.” Stefan exclaimed, but Damon just shook his head and stood up.

“This isn’t important Stefan. None of this is important. It’s ancient history. There’s no point in dredging up old corpses.” He shouted. “And you brought Elena into this? What are you going to do, spill all my secrets to the world?”

“Not the world Damon. Elena was the one who found the picture. It was in Jonathan Gilbert’s journal.” Stefan explained. Damon looked confused at this news and looked back and forth between Stefan and Elena obviously waiting for answers. “He saw the girl in Boston while on a business trip. One of her teachers allowed him to take a photo. He was going to show it to father.”

Damon’s eyes widened in fear confusing Stefan further. “Did he?” He asked tentatively . Stefan shrugged his shoulders.

“We don’t know. It was the end of the journal and we haven’t gone to get the next one.” Elena explained behind him.

Damon nodded his head and sat back down on the couch behind him. Stefan eyed him warily, wondering what was going through his brothers’ mind right now. All the anger seemed to seep out of Damon quickly and left him in a confused state as he stared into the fire.

Feeling as though he was in the clear and that Damon wasn’t about to bolt out the door or lash out in a violent rage, he sat down himself again next to Elena, letting her take his hand in her own as they both watched the man across from them. Nothing was said for the longest time, leaving the trio in a comfortable silence, the only sounds surrounding them came from the crackling of the fire and random clicks from the many clocks that were scattered throughout the house.

The way his brother responded to this whole situation confounded Stefan. Damon was prone to not give answers or respond in riddles or violence. The whole situation seemed to have put Damon in a different state that left Stefan at a loss on the proper way to proceed. Every ounce of him was telling Stefan to pounce now, ask his questions, get his answers, but his mind new that regardless of Damon’s temporary change, the chance of him retreating was still high, so he sat and waited for him to speak first.

“She was my best friend.” Damon said so softly that even with his vampire hearing Stefan almost missed it. He looked up to gaze at his brother but Damon seemed lost in his own mind, staring at the warm fire before him. “She cared about me. She gave me kindness.”

“I don’t remember any Daltons in Mystic Falls.” Stefan said just as quietly, squeezing Elena’s smaller hand in his. Damon licked his lips and sat back against the back of the sofa, taking a sip from the glass that was still in his hand finally allowing Stefan to relax a little.

“They weren’t in Mystic Falls. They were a farming family just outside of town, just barely one step up from a slave according to father. I met her one day on one of my walks out in the woods. She loved the solace the trees offered her so she frequently went out. We met many times for months and somehow I fell in love with her.” Damon told them, being open and honest.

Stefan narrowed his brow at his brothers’ story, trying to remember that time, but he couldn’t pick out anything unusual or telling. “Why had you not brought her around to meet us?” Stefan asked, genuinely feeling hurt that Damon had hidden them from this girl. Damon rolled his eyes at him and quirked his brow a bit again.

“Stefan, you know how father was. He would never have approved of her. He may have hated me but I was a Salvatore and Claire was far below my station.” He explained.

“Sounds like a load of crap to me. Who cares about social standings?” Elena huffed next to him. Stefan squeezed her hand, conveying that she probably shouldn’t interrupt Damon, and she gave him a small smile in understanding.

“It’s not important now Elena but back then, it was very much so. As a founding family member you should know that. Even now, though no one cares who you date you are looked to in this town to lead and be an example. It’s your duty.” Damon explained easily.

“You married her so obviously you didn’t care Damon. You were married to her for over a year and yet everything at home went about as it always did.” Stefan watched his brother warily as Damon continued to lazily stare into the burning flames.

“I did Stefan.” He replied finally looking up to meet Stefan’s gaze. “I was seventeen and she was sixteen. Her father gave us his blessing and we were married at a church near them. We were going to run away but her father was worried about how I would support her. I wasn’t worried. Not much at least. I had my education and my inheritance was to kick in on my 18th birthday.”

“What inheritance?” Stefan asked confused. It had been one of the final blows after he turned that solidified his hate for his father when there had been so much love for so long. Reading his will and realizing that the man who had fathered both Stefan and his brother had in fact disinherited Damon, leaving everything to Stefan with strict instructions to not give Damon a single penny. It had broken his heart and though his brother had already left him because of his inability to control his bloodlust, Stefan had immediately corrected it, putting Damon’s name on all the family accounts and drawing up new documents.

Though he wasn’t sure if Damon was even aware of it.

“I know what you’re thinking brother.” Damon commented, breaking his thoughts. “I am well aware of fathers will. I knew long before that that he wasn’t going to leave me anything, but so did grandmother.”

“Grandmother?” Stefan repeated even more confused. Neither parent had ever spoken about their own parents as both sets had died just before or after he was born.

“Yes, grandma Salvatore. When her husband died, of course father inherited everything from him, as was the custom but he had left explicit instructions on what would be Grandmothers, namely all the money that came from her own inheritance from when her parents died. She was the only remaining child so therefore she inherited their entire fortune.”

“And she left that to you.” Stefan finished. He wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about that. He didn’t care about the money, that he had plenty of and always have but he supposed this is what Damon had felt his whole life but on a more grander scale.

“She did. All her money, all property, anything of value was left for me.” Damon stood up then and Stefan tensed, getting ready to block him if he decided to go for the door, but Damon just walked around the couch and poured himself another drink. “Granted almost anything of value was stuck in a vault underground in Florence but the money would kick in when I was 18.” He drank the entire glass and then proceeded to poured another. “Claire and I decided to wait until then before leaving. I didn’t really want to but it made sense. She didn’t know about the money.”

Stefan nodded at that as his mind replayed what they were talking about, a thought striking him, and his undead heart beat a little harder. “You were going to leave me?” Stefan asked sadly, not really wanting the answer. Damon’s story made complete sense but he didn’t think he could bare his brother admitting that he would leave Stefan like that.

Damon gave him a pained yet sympathetic look as he walked back around to his place on the couch, nursing the bourbon. “Yes, I was Stefan.”

“How could you do that?” Stefan said angrily, hurt at Damon’s words.

“Because, Stefan…” Damon started closing his eyes for a moment. Stefan didn’t want him to do that, he wanted Damon to look him in the eyes and tell him why he would abandon his only brother. “I had no future in Mystic Falls.”

“Damon-“

“It’s true Stefan.” Damon blurted out. “I knew long ago. Father purposely left me isolated. The only reason I was still around was for appearance sake and to help you. He always planned to leave everything to you, and he only wanted me around, because he knew I loved you, and I wouldn’t let you fail. I was to be your safety net, you’re loyal assistant, the one person who you could trust to be honest and help you run the family business. That’s all.”

“But you still would have left me Damon.” Stefan said softly, watching Damon’s face crumble at the pain in his voice.

“It wasn’t forever Stefan. I was just going to be gone a few years. I knew once I left I wouldn’t be permitted to contact you, at least until you were an adult.” He said somberly, practically pleading for Stefan to understand. “I promise I would have come back for you.”

Stefan let out a sigh and glanced next to him at Elena who had tears streaming down her cheeks as she listened to the brothers. He swallowed hard and nodded his head in understanding, believing Damon’s words. He really didn’t believe that Damon would leave and never come back. Their bond had been stronger than that. Even now, a hundred and fifty years later they had come back together, and they were stronger now than they had been since they turned.

“But you didn’t leave.” Stefan pressed, wanting to move on from the realization his brother would have. Damon nodded his head and looked back at the fire, eyes seemingly unseeing as he wove the tale.

“A few months after we married, father found out. He disapproved as we already know but he was even more malevolent than I ever thought possible.” Damon said weakly. Stefan wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear what came next but he didn’t stop his brother. “He found her father, and paid him a vast amount to pack up his family and leave, taking Claire with him. He went so far as to get a contract that nobody from his family was to ever contact any of us again, and would never mention the name Salvatore to anyone.”

“Oh my god, how could he do that? How could her father do that?” Elena gasped. Damon gave a sardonic chuckle and smirked in Elena’s direction, causing the pit in Stefan’s stomach to drop.

“It gets worse. After he did that he then approached me. It was the biggest fight we’ve ever had. I proclaimed that I loved her and that I was leaving. He countered with some bullshit lines of duty, responsibility blah blah. Nothing I didn’t know he’d use and nothing I gave a crap about. But then he pulled out the big guns.” Damon paused then, and the growing pit in Stefan’s stomach grew larger, knowing whatever his brother would say would not be good at all. The silence stretched out between the three as Damon seemed to compose himself.

“He informed me, ever so kindly of course, that he knew where they were and if I ever went looking for her he would kill her.” Damon squeezed his eyes tightly closed for a second before opening them again. “I didn’t heed his warning and four months later when my inheritance kicked in I hired an investigator to look for her.”

He stopped then and Stefan leaned forward, needing to hear the rest but he could tell by his brothers’ posture that it was not good news, and he began to dread what actually happened.

“Did you find her?” Stefan pressed warily and Damon nodded his head.

“Yeah. Father took me out to their old farm one night. He led me into what was once her bedroom and there she was, splayed out upon the barren bed, as if sleeping. I wasn’t sure what to think, I was just so happy to see her, and I ran to her immediately.” He paused again, swallowing hard. “When I touched her skin it was cold as ice, and it was then I noticed how pale she was and how lifeless. I stood up to confront father and he backhanded me so hard I lost a tooth, but I didn’t care. I came after him but he stopped me. He said that she had had a child. I was so stunned but I demanded that he tell me where it was.”

Of course he didn’t. Instead he informed me that Claire’s death was a result of my search and if I didn’t stop my search than the same would happen to the child. I didn’t know if he was lying or not about it but I couldn’t risk it. So I let it go. I forgot about it.”

Stefan was stunned at what he heard and horrified. “So that’s it? You just forgot about your daughter?” He stumbled out incredulous. Damon ran his hands over his face tiredly before meeting Stefan’s unwavering gaze.

“I didn’t even know I had a daughter Stefan. He wouldn’t tell me the sex. But it was safer for her for me to not know about her. So I forgot.” He finished warily.

Nothing was said between the trio as Elena let go of Stefan’s hand and moved over to Damon, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders in a fierce hug. Stefan’s mind was reeling from all that he had learned and he wasn’t sure what to make of any of the information. He had known that it wasn’t going to be pleasant since it involved Damon, even if it was human Damon, but to hear what their father had done to his own son made Stefan feel very ill indeed.

Swallowing again Stefan’s mouth opened and closed several times but no words would come out. He watched the two people he cared about most across from him silently. Elena had somehow fully wrapped herself around Damon’s frame and was sobbing quietly in his arms. He hated to see her cry but his heart swelled slightly at knowing that she cared about Damon too. He knew Damon was in love with her, and was well aware that there were some shared mutual feelings from Elena, but Stefan felt secure in his relationship with Elena, knowing that as much of a dick his brother was, he wouldn’t want to break any happiness that Stefan had with her.

Damon stared stoically into the fire still. Stefan wished he knew what was running through his brothers mind but Damon had always been a closed book, and nothing emphasized that more than this whole thing with Arietta. It pained him greatly that he didn’t know his brother as well as he thought he did. That as human’s, Damon was the closest thing to a best friend but apparently, he didn’t know what secrets he held. Perhaps if he knew the real pain of what his brother had gone through in his human life he could have been there more for him in the after. He could have been more understanding, more patient. He could have helped Damon work out his demons so they wouldn’t have manifested themselves in the horrific ways that they had through the years.

It was too late for all that now, Stefan knew. But that didn’t mean he was going to give up. He hadn’t given up on his brother before he discovered his deepest darkest secret and he most definitely was not going to give up on him now that he knew the story. If anything, Stefan was more determined to help him, to work out the problems, to discover what else he didn’t know.

Idly, he wondered if Damon would consider going to therapy.

A very un-lady like sniffle from Elena that sounded like a snort broke the thick silent tension that had permeated around them. Soft chuckles sounded from him, reverberating around his chest as the others joined in until they were all laughing hysterically, falling to the floor from the sofas they were on, not quite sure what was so funny.

It had felt good to laugh. A good hearty fully body laugh. He hadn’t done that in a very long time. Everything around them was always doom and gloom with one threat after another. It was starting to weigh heavily on him, he couldn’t even imagine what Elena and the others was feeling.

Eventually the laughter stopped and the three of them were lying on the floor trying to catch their breaths. The silence descended around the room again but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Eventually, though too soon in Stefan’s mind, Elena sat up from her position, his brother and him following suit, pushing their backs against the sofas.

“Damon…” Elena started, startling Stefan slightly as her voice seemed to echo around the large silent room. Both Stefan and Damon gave her their attention. “I get why you forgot about her while you were alive, but…why didn’t you go search for her after?” She asked.

Stefan held his breath not wanting to miss his brothers’ answer and mentally kicking himself for not thinking along the same lines, though he was pretty sure on what the answer was. Regardless he waited the few minutes while Damon seemed to process the question to hear it from his own lips.

Finally Damon sighed, looking between Elena and Stefan. “I was dead Elena.” He stated as if that should be the end of it, but neither Elena nor Stefan accepted that as they waited patiently for him to elaborate further. “I was more in control than Stefan but the bloodlust was too great. I had already given up any hope of knowing them and the last thing I wanted was to put them in danger. “

“But weren’t you curious Damon?” Stefan asked him sullenly. “If it was me, I wouldn’t be able to stay away. Especially since it was taken away from me once I turned.”

“Stefan…” Damon sighed out sounding very exhausted and every bit his 173 years. “Look, you forced me to tell you my sad pathetic tale and I did. Please, just leave it at that. Forget about it. It’s over, in the past. If there is any family alive they deserve to be left alone and away from the crappy world of vampires.”

“What they deserve is to know their family history, and to know that there is family out there.” Stefan argued. “We have so much Damon, and they deserve their share. They would have inherited all of this anyways. “

Damon gave a snort of derision and shook his head before standing up. Stefan stared up at his brother knowing that the conversation was now coming to an end and debated if he should stop him from leaving. But the look on Damon’s face, the exhaustive pain stopped him from doing anything else. He would let it go for now but Stefan refused to let the matter drop entirely.

After a momentary staring contest Stefan watched the derisive eyes soften. “You don’t have to worry about them Stefan.” He said softly. “After I buried Claire, I spoke to father to give in to his demands. I requested that he at least allow me to set up a fund for the child so they’d be taken care of.”

That stunned Stefan. “And he allowed that?” Stefan asked incredulous. Damon nodded his head, biting his lower lip.

“I made a very convincing point that regardless how he felt about me and the child, it was still a Salvatore by blood and should be given the courtesy of that even if they didn’t know it. Father was a bastard but he had too much pride when it came to family blood.” Damon smirked. “He kept me around for twenty-three years after all.”

“Yeah.” Stefan agreed slowly. “And then he shot and killed you.”

With a final curt nod Damon turned from him and vamp sped out the door into the night and Stefan leaned his head back against the sofa, letting out a loud frustrated groan.

***

Damon had told him to let it go, but he couldn’t and days later he found himself driving up to the Gilbert lake house instead of being in school. Elena had wanted to go with him but he had convinced her to go to class instead, citing that if only he was missing and Damon found out, he would most likely just think that his brother was out hunting or brooding.

At least that’s what he hoped for.

Both Elena and Stefan had spent their afternoons finishing going through Giuseppe’s trunks while Damon went on benders at the Grill. He had roped Alaric in surprisingly easily, giving no information. His task was simple, keep Damon at the Grill as long as possible and then text them the second he leaves so he wouldn’t discover Elena and him in the attic.

Unfortunately they had found nothing else in regards to Damon, Claire, or Arietta. The thought of going through Damon’s trunks had crossed his mind, but so did the thought on what Damon would do if Stefan violated his privacy like that. There was a line and he didn’t want to cross it, and in any case he felt that Damon honestly told him everything that he knew, so it was unlikely there would be anything in them.

Pulling up the long drive to the lake house, Stefan used the key that Elena had given him that morning after he dropped her off at school and entered the empty home immediately going up the stairs to where the journals were kept.

Searching through the journals for the correct date, Stefan grabbed it and headed for his car, fully intending to drive back to Mystic Falls and read it with Elena like he promised but the curiosity was killing him. He had to know if Jonathan told Giuseppe.

Opening the journal Stefan skimmed the pages of Jonathan telling of his last remaining days in Boston and the ride home, eagerly looking for any passage of when the man spoke to his father. Finally several pages in he found what he was looking for and hungrily ate up the words on the page.

“The council meeting was brief tonight, the same words of caution reverberating around the room. The deaths have increased and we feared that the monsters have multiplied. However what was on my mind had nothing to do with these mysterious creatures and more to do with the mysterious girl.

I walked with him outside down the street towards his manor when I brought up the girl. My friend was calm and collected and seemed unconcerned. I was about to pull out the photo I had placed in my breast pocket earlier this evening when he stopped up abruptly and turned to face me.

It was then that I learned the truth of the girl. My friend was angry as he expressed his disgust with his son on the abomination he had created. I attempted to placate him, remembering the good things her teacher had told me, but no words could come out, and I kept my mouth shut.

Those of us who count Giuseppe Salvatore as a friend are not blind to the man’s true nature. We are all aware of how ruthless he truly is and could be and listening to him degrade his son had just emphasized the point for the Damon Salvatore my friend was describing was nothing like the one I knew. The boy is sweet and kind and very quiet. Smart and efficient and full of wonderful ideas to improve the town. If I had a daughter I would gladly offer her hand to him but that was not the picture that Giuseppe painted.

It was during his rant that I decided against showing him the photo and against telling young Damon. Something deep inside me felt fear for the girl, that should Damon know of her existence something terrible may befall her. With a saddened heart I promised my friend to never speak a word of it and we parted ways.”

“That’s it?” Stefan said out loud to himself feeling annoyed at the lack of information. Though what he was hoping for, he had no idea.

Frustrated Stefan tossed the journal on the seat next to him and banged his head on the headrest of his seat. For the first time Stefan thought about possibly letting it go. It seemed like an impossible task to find where his father sent the girl and without his brothers cooperation it felt like a huge struggle. Something inside him thought wouldn’t allow him to quit, at least not yet. This was his last and only chance to have some connection with possibly living relatives and for some reason it felt inordinately important.

Finally squishing the negative thoughts from his mind, Stefan turned the key in of the car and began his long trek home.

***

“There you are, where have you been?” Elena’s voice startled Stefan as he leaned against the headboard of her bed. He blinked up at her a few times before his mind started working again and he cleared his throat, picking up the journal he was currently reading.

“Sorry, Elena, I wanted to take a look at the previous journal.” He told her, raising the book slightly in indication. He lowered his eyes a bit at the irritation that showed plainly over her face as she dropped her back pack onto the floor much harder than was strictly necessary.

“You said you were going to come back to school.” She said angrily.

“I know.”

“That we were going to do this together.”

“I know I’m sorry.”

“Stefan…” Elena started, crawling up on her bed and moving towards him. He closed his eyes as she ran her hand through his hair and down the side of his face before leaning in and giving him a gentle chaste kiss. “You don’t have to do this alone Stefan. I want to help you, even if it’s just to sit here and look pretty why you read barely legible missives.”

Stefan felt a warm feeling at her words and felt bad that he had left her out of his trek up to the cabin. They could have used the day off from school and everything and enjoyed the day and maybe evening lounging in front of the fire, just the two of them. He didn’t mean to push her away or take full lead of everything. It was second nature to him. If he needed information or needed to do something, he got up and went. Typically he didn’t have a partner in crime in such things.

“I know Elena, and I really do appreciate it and love that you support me in this. I’m just…not used to really having that kind of support and…to be honest I’m am kind of worried about Damon.” Stefan confessed honestly. Elena nodded her understanding and she turned her body to lean against the headboard next to Stefan.

“I’m worried about him too Stefan, which is another reason why I want to help. The whole thing is just messed up. What your father did to Damon is hands down the most horrible thing I’ve ever heard, but you shouldn’t have to handle this on your own, especially if you want to pursue it.” She explained to him, reaching for his hand and entwining their fingers.

Stefan was really grateful then for Elena’s presence. It was true what he said, with anything involving Damon and his family he had been alone for over 145 years. He had Lexi of course but she despised Damon, not understanding why Stefan kept trying and wanted nothing to do with him. It was a fight and a struggle to get her to finally agree to go to New York in ’77 to help him and he regretted it severely when she came back pissed off that Damon had tried to kill her.

She hadn’t talked to Stefan for two years after that.

Regardless Stefan refused to give up on anything involving Damon. He was his brother after all, his only real family left and his once best friend in the entire world.

“Anyways, what are you looking for in this?” Elena asked taking the journal that had fallen on his lap and skimmed the page he was on.

“Jonathan didn’t leave any new information in his next journal, other than his conversation with Giuseppe. He didn’t show him the photo and seemed afraid for Arietta, so other than informing Giuseppe of seeing the girl he didn’t give any further details.” Stefan explained to her.

“That’s why you are back to this one? It didn’t have any other information either.” She questioned curiously.

Stefan reached for the journal again and read through the previous sentence he had stopped on before answering. “Since Damon doesn’t have any other details, and we found nothing in Giuseppe’s things, I was hoping to figure out where in Boston Jonathan was on this trip.” He said.

Elena looked at him confused for a moment. “Why would that matter?”

“Because he stated Arietta went to a nearby school. A prestigious one as he said, which means…”

“School records.” Elena finished, eyes going wide. “Which means finding out where she lived outside of school and how it was paid for.”

“Well, we know how it was paid for. Damon set up a trust.” Stefan pointed out.

“Yeah but someone has to control the money until she’s of age, had to enroll her in school, make sure she had what she needed.” She argued.

“That’s true. But the first step is finding out where Jonathan was so we can get the school. Boston is well known for its private educational institutions so it’s not like we can just throw a stone and catch it.”

Elena giggled slightly at his comment and Stefan’s heart felt lighter; reminding him of the laughing fit they had had the previous day at the boarding house. He loved to see her smile and hear her laugh and wished she would be able to do it more. For now however he tossed the journal aside and leaned over to her placing a passionate kiss on her lips and wrapping his arms tightly around her.

***

It took them a few days to figure out where Jonathan had gone and to plan the trip. Damon had been very suspicious when Stefan informed him that he and Elena would be taking a weekend trip to Boston, but somehow he was able to convince him that it was just a much needed relaxing vacation. It wouldn’t be too much of a lie anyways, Stefan had planned some activities and sight-seeing for both Elena and him.

After a long drive they finally made it up to East Boston and checked into their hotel, deciding to go check out the schools the next day. There were three that could be possibilities and Stefan had made appointments at all three for the next day.

Stefan had taken Elena out to a five-star romantic dinner on the waterfront where they spent a few hours enjoying the food and talking about anything and everything that didn’t involve hybrids, mysterious family members, or deranged psychopaths.

The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable reminding Stefan of the earlier days in their relationship before Elena had discovered his secret of being a vampire. For the first time since that day in the attic Stefan spoke freely of his time as a vampire, allowing Elena to ask all the questions she apparently had been collecting in her beautiful head since they met.

They laughed as he regaled her with stories of adventures with Lexi and other vampires he had met along the way. She sympathized as he told her of the various times through the years that Damon and he crossed each other’s path. He always focused on the negative impact Damon always had on him whenever they got together, but re-calling the details for Elena reminded him that it wasn’t always so. They had had a lot of good times mixed with mostly bad and it made him grateful for where they were now.

They stayed until the restaurant was about to close and he took her down to the waterfront and walked along the boardwalk, placing his jacket over her shoulders and holding on to her hand tightly. It was quite late by the time they returned to the hotel and spent the rest of the night in bliss.

***

The next day Stefan and Elena both got up early, much too early for the late night they had had and got ready to go. With a quick breakfast in the hotel restaurant they were soon on their way to the first school.

Getting the information they needed wasn’t as hard as it should have been, but Stefan used every vampire advantage he had including compulsion when needed. He was wary by midafternoon as they ate a quick lunch before heading to the final school. The first two had been dead ends and Stefan’s last hope rested on the third school.

By 1pm Stefan and Elena walked through the gates of Lake Forest Academy for Girls. They both looked around the impressive large buildings that surrounded them, awed by their old Victorian architecture, though Stefan thought it all seemed a bit cold and for the first time in a long time, was glad for his private tutors in the comfort of his home.

They waited in the hall for the headmistress to come and take them to her office. Stefan noted she was a kind woman with a pleasant disposition. She was proud of the school’s history, being an alumnus herself and seemed eager to assist them in their quest to find their missing person.

“Once I got word from the secretary of who you were looking for I had some volunteers go down to the basement and dig out what they could. You’re lucky we pride ourselves in our records, most schools don’t keep these things for over 100years.” With that she pulled placed a shoebox sized box in front of them as well as a large thick folder.

Stefan knew if he had a heartbeat it would be pounding right now. They had found Arietta and hopefully this information would lead them to her decedents and perhaps on her, allowing Stefan and Damon to know.

The headmistress left her hand on top of the folder for another second eyeing the both of them curiously. Stefan thought for a moment that he would have to compel her to give him the items and being so close to them he was waiting and willing to do just that in the blink of an eye, but she then smiled kindly at them.

“You say she’s your ancestor?” She asked curiously. Stefan nodded slightly numb.

“Yeah, my brot…I mean, my great whatever grandfathers first son had a daughter that he was forced to give up. We’re just trying to find her current family and well, bring them back to us.” Stefan said honestly, glad that the woman didn’t notice his slip up.

“I bet the rest of your family is glad at how far you’ve come to find them. Most families aren’t able to trace their lineage.” She commented.

“I don’t really have any other family.” Stefan said. “It’s just me and my elder brother. It’s why I started the search.”

“To see if you have more.” She finished pleasantly. “I understand. Family is very important, and I wish you luck Mr. Salvatore.”

She nodded thoughtfully for a moment before picking up a clipboard with a piece of paper attached and handed it to him. “Since this stuff is so old, the directors agreed to allow you to take it. Please fill out this form and you’ll be good to go.” She told them kindly.

Stefan quickly filled it out and handed it back to her, grabbing the folder and the box. What was only a twenty minute drive back to the hotel felt like an eternity to him, and that was saying something considering he was a vampire, but soon enough they got there and they made their way up to their room. Elena ordered room service, feeling hungry and they sat on the bed with the plates of food just staring at the two items.

Part of Stefan just wanted to rip open the folder and look inside it, hungrily reading the contents. But another part just wanted to relish it, the accomplishment of finding Arietta. He would never get to meet the girl, she was long dead, but he could get to know her at least. He felt a connection to her though he knew nothing about her, and he painfully felt her loss as well.

“Are you going to look?” Elena asked softly next to him. He took another beat before nodding his head and reaching for the folder first.

Opening it up, he saw a world of information about Arietta Aconi. He discovered her birthday was May 3rd 1856\. She was a ward of the school since the age of three until seventeen. No parents were listed but an emergency contact was for a law firm in the city who Stefan presumed took care of her trust.

He read every single paper in the folder of her long school history, reading over every grade which were exemplary, and every teachers note and recommendation. He read old school reports that were kept as part of her permeant record and marveled at the girls’ intelligence. Arietta had been part of the school’s council, being Vice President of the student body for her last three years, and did a lot voluntary work in the neighborhood. She was every good part of Damon it seemed.

Each and every photo that was included Stefan took care to look at, to memorize every feature of her smiling face, which he delighted in. During a time where photography was in its infancy, most people would keep solemn faces due to the time it took to develop, but Arietta seemed to relish in her bright smile, to which he was glad. She had the same bright innocent smile that Stefan remembered frequently on his brother when he was younger, and his heart ached at the memory, wishing he could see it again but knowing it wasn’t possible. Damon had done too many things, witnessed too much, time had worn down not only him but Stefan as well and they both lost the ability to smile easily and innocently.

Sometime later he came to the end of the folder, the last page being a certificate of graduation from the school, and an address which he knew would be invalid now of where she had gone. And thus ended the life of Arietta Aconi’s, no, Arietta Salvatore’s, as Stefan decided to call her then, school career there.

“Where do you think she went?” Elena asked, picking up one of the photos that Stefan had dropped on the blanket. It was of a young girl in her late teens, her raven black hair in tight ringlets around her shoulders, and a gleaming smile reaching up to her light eyes.

She looked exactly like Damon.

“I don’t know.” He said morosely, flipping through the folder again for a moment before finally setting it down on the bed. He picked up the small box that he had placed in front of him and put it on his lap, lightly running his fingers over the top dusting the years from it reverently. He wondered what was inside, what Arietta would decide to leave behind, or accidently left.

Taking the lid off the top of the box, both Stefan and Elena peered into it to see its contents. There wasn’t very much in there, to Stefan’s dismay but it was better than nothing. Inside, he pulled out a couple of antique hair clips made of dried flowers with ribbons flowing down. Beneath them was a handkerchief with beautiful embroidery around it and Arietta’s initials in the corner.

The main treasure though was a book that lay underneath. Picking it up gingerly, Stefan opened it to the first page, a gasp escaping from his lips as he read the words written on the page.

“Is that…is that a diary?” Elena asked curiously, looking over his shoulder. Stefan didn’t respond as he turned the page, reading the girls writing, reading as she poured her heart out into the tiny book that he held in his hands.

He began reading aloud to Elena, as she snuggled in next to him. Stefan was elated at the find, as nothing could tell you more about a person in their personal writings. He learned everything about this girl, from her favorite foods, to her favorite classes. He learned that a boy named Charles Markson from the nearby boys’ school picked on her a lot but that she thought he was pretty cute.

Mostly she wrote about her loneliness, and how the holidays were always the worst as she was one of the few who didn’t have families to go home too. She frequently pictured what her family must have been like, imagining Damon and Claire, inaccurately of course and it amused him at the variations she would go through during her years of writing.

It was early dawn when they finally reached the final entry in the book. It wasn’t like any of the other entries where the girl was writing as if to the book itself, instead making it a letter to any future person who may read it.

_To whom it may concern,_

_Whoever you are that is reading this book, I hope you have learned much regarding me. As I pack up my things, ready to move on, a feeling inside of myself urged me to leave this book behind in this box. I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but I hope that it will mean something to whoever you are._

_I’ve been so lonely for so long, and now, going out into the world, I am determined to find my own, to find my blood kin. Though the need to leave this behinds fills me with sadness that I may not be able to succeed._

_The only clue I have to finding my family is in the form of a ring that was given to me. Mr. Libertoli, my financial guardian refuses, by direct order of whoever set up my trust, to not give me any information. However he did give me a ring, which was supposedly my mothers’ as a graduation gift. It’s quite beautiful with an emerald center surrounded by diamonds._

_I do not know if it was intentional or not, or if it was just fate that I should receive it, on the inside of the ring there is single word engraved, a name. Salvatore. I feel this is the clue I’ve been waiting for all these years, and that I am truly a Salvatore and not an Aconi._

_Whoever my family is, I hope to see them someday soon. And I leave this diary as a record of my place here._

_Arietta_

“Salvatore?” Elena asked looking up at Stefan. He wasn’t sure what to say and just shook his head. “Do you think…is that a family heirloom?”

“It sounds like it.” Stefan replied, re-reading the entry. “It sounds like my grandmothers. I’ve never seen it of course, she died when I was young but it’s possible. Damon did inherit everything of hers which could include the ring.”

“It sounds very beautiful.” Elena commented. Stefan nodded in agreement, finally closing the diary and sitting back against the headboard of the bed.

“If it’s the one I’m thinking about then yes it is. It’s a very special ring. My family came from a long line of nobility in Italy dating back to the middle ages. My mother told me about my grandmothers’ wedding ring once, that the emerald was a rare gift from the King of Spain for some deed that my ancestor had done. The diamonds came from an expedition from India. The tale went, that my ancestor loved his wife so much, he wanted a ring fit for a Queen, and took the finest gems he could find and hired the best metal smith in all of Italy to create it.” He told her with a smile.

“How come your mother didn’t have it? Aren’t those things passed down?” She asked curiously. Stefan nodded and continued his tale.

“It was. My father was the second child so the ring went to my uncle. He died young with no children and his wife remarried so my Grandmother got the ring back. I remember my mother was very upset that she didn’t get it despite father attempting for many years to do so, even after she died.”

“I bet he was pleased as punch to know that Damon had it.” Elena scoffed, though Stefan wasn’t sure if his father had known. There was no way Giuseppe would have let Arietta keep the ring if he had known. It was a family heirloom that Stefan knew Giuseppe had intended to give to him to offer his future bride. He didn’t voice this to Elena though, feeling exhaustion course through him.

Looking at the clock it was almost three am. They both agreed to get some sleep for now and then in the morning they would look up the financial guardian and see if they can track down the records from him.

***

Luckily for Stefan and Elena, like most successful major institutions from the mid 1800’s, they were able to locate the current offices of the Libertoli Financial Group. It didn’t take much to get an appointment right away much to Stefan’s surprise. All it took as a phone call; his name and they were able to fit him in whenever he decided to show up.

The moment they entered the intimidating building in downtown Boston, they were ushered into a large office by a secretary and offered drinks and snacks. Stefan sat in the chair, calmly, left leg crossed over his right knee as he drank his coffee. He was used to such places and accustomed to such treatment. Growing up wealthy and continuing it throughout his existence had trained him on the protocol.

Elena however obviously despite her own privileged upbringing had obviously not been a part of this area of her family’s life as she sat straight up in her chair, holding her still full cup in front of her looking around the large office wide eyed. Stefan couldn’t stop the light laugh that escaped him as he watched her, causing her to turn her wide eyes on him.

“What?” She asked curiously, sitting straighter.

“It’s, nothing.” He said offhandedly, taking a sip of his coffee before reaching over and rubbing his palm over her arm a few times. “Just relax Elena.” He told her.

He watched as Elena let her shoulders slump a little as she sat back in her chair, apparently trying to take his advice.

“I really don’t feel comfortable here.” She admitted quietly. “I really feel out of place.”

“That’s the point. They make everything feel big and important so you’re confident you’re choosing the right place to invest your money to.” He explained, setting his empty cup on the edge of the desk.

“Do you spend much time in these situations?” She asked him. “I mean, sitting in large scary rooms like this waiting to be spoken to?”

Another chuckle escaped him as he turned his body towards her a bit more. “Not really, at least not anymore. Most people who are, like me, use more secure sources. I normally only meet with an adviser every couple of years.” He explained.

“People like you?”

“Yeah, you know, with my affliction.” He said, trying to avoid using the word ‘vampire’ in an unknown location that is most likely bugged.

Elena seemed to process that for a few moments, staring down at the carpet. “I guess I never really thought about that aspect of it.” She confessed.

“You wouldn’t need to Elena, however, I had to.” He told her. “When times change and documents are required and you amass so much fortune, you need to have a way to control it. I was lucky though, I had Damon.”

“Damon helped you?” She asked.

“Damon took care of everything. Though we both had training and schooling, demanded by our father of course, Damon had had more experience with it all. After we...changed…I was out of my mind, but luckily Damon took control.” He said thoroughly grateful for his brother.

“I’m surprised he let you have anything. Being as he was so angry with you and you were so…ill…He could have left you with nothing.” Elena said, finally relaxing a bit.

“No matter where we were personally, no matter how much we hated and antagonized each other, we are still brothers Elena. Money is pointless.” He said shaking his head.

Before Elena could ask any more questions, the door to the side opened allowing an elderly man to enter. He approached them, reaching his hand out to shake both their hands, introducing himself as Markus Chandler and welcoming them.

“Now, what can I do for you Mr. Salvatore?” The man asked as he walked around the overly large desk to sit in the big imposing chair. “We don’t normally get you in this office; it looks like your family goes through our main parent company for your investments.”

“Yes, we do sir, normally handled by my brother, Damon Salvatore. I’m actually here on a separate matter.” Stefan started sitting forward.

“And what is it that we can assist you with Mr. Salvatore?” Mr. Chandler inquired.

“It’s in regards to an older account, created around 1857.” He said.

If the man before him was surprised he did a remarkable job of showing it. Instead he just nodded his head and turned to the computer and begun typing.

“I’ll be happy to help you Mr. Salvatore as much as I can, but please be aware that despite the account being so old, I may not be able to give much if it’s current without a court order.” He stated.

Stefan nodded his understanding and gave the information he had to the man and waited for him to bring up the information. He glanced over at Elena who sat quietly, still holding the cup and saucer with her probably now cold coffee. He reached out to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and a smile as they waited.

“Well Mr. Salvatore, I cannot give you any current information on the account as it is still in use, however since you are listed as a primary holder on the account that had set it up in 1857, I can give you that information.” Mr. Chandler told him helpfully.

“I understand Mr. Chandler.” Stefan stated, waiting patiently. The fact that the account was still active was good news for Stefan, as that meant there was someone using the funds.

“It looks like the account was set up in 1857 through our main parent company under the authority of Giuseppe Salvatore of Mystic Falls, Virginia for a child named Arietta Aconi. The main solicitor was Harris Libertoli himself. He controlled the account until Ms. Aconi turned eighteen, and then he served as an advisor for her investments.” Mr. Chandler told them. “The account was then taken over in 1942 after Ms. Aconi, who changed her name to Salvatore in 1875 and married to a Raymond Torseli passed away.”

Sitting back in his chair, Stefan let the information run over in his mind, committing to memory everything Chandler had said. A small smile played on his lips thinking of her changing her name, that she was a true Salvatore in name and blood in the end and not some random last name that Giuseppe probably thought up on the spot.

“Can you give us any information on the current whereabouts of who owns the account? We’re trying to track down that branch of the family.” Elena asked, finally speaking up.

Chandler stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowed. Stefan didn’t like the way he was looking at her and was about to say something when the man grabbed a pad of paper from his desk drawer and wrote something down. Once he was done he stood up and came around the large desk and leaned against front of it holding out the paper to Stefan.

“I cannot give you current information, as the right to information expired at Mrs. Torseli’s passing, however I can give you her last known address.” He held out his hand to Stefan who took it and gave a firm shake. “Good luck to you Mr. Salvatore.”

With that Stefan and Elena stood up from their seats and headed for the exit. Stefan took Elena’s hand in his on their way, holding it tightly as the paper in his other hand burned, waiting for him to read it. They didn’t look back as they exited the office and headed towards the car. Once they were safely in it, Stefan than felt like he could look down at the single sheet of paper.

Looking at the address Stefan’s mind brought up a map in his mind’s eye and he calculated the distance to the location. He looked over at Elena who stared back with bright dark eyes, leaving the decision to him on what to do next.

Without a second thought Stefan drove them back to the hotel to check out.

***

It took them approximately three hours to get to the location indicated on the paper. They sat outside the fenced yard on the outside by the road and looked over at the property beyond. It was a large two story house, with a huge lawn and a barn off to the side where a couple of horses stood grazing. It looked comfortable and nice, and suddenly fear gripped Stefan’s chest.

Though he didn’t know if this place still contained any family of his, just the prospect of the possibility seemed to overwhelm him now that he was almost literally right on their doorstep. He felt guilty then, thinking of his brother who he had spoken to just an hour before while driving. His brother had told him several times to drop it and he just couldn’t, and the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind till this moment when he was sitting outside the house.

The idea of having to broach the subject with Damon filled him with fear, afraid of what could possibly happen to their relationship in the aftermath. They were finally in a good place, a place where they talked, where they respected each other, where they weren’t actively trying to kill each other. It was the first time in a very long time that he felt he had his brother back and Stefan was desperately afraid of losing him. He wasn’t sure if this quest to gain more family was worth the possibility of losing his one true family member.

He understood of course, why Damon wanted to let it go. The whole situation was painful, losing his wife by his father’s hand, just because he fell in love with someone whom they felt was unworthy, and then the fear that their child would meet the same fate. It was cruel and true evil of the highest caliber and Stefan could never forgive his father for what he did to Damon. He admired his brother for handling everything himself for so long, never revealing that anything was wrong, never revealing that he had once had a family, though it hurt Stefan greatly that Damon felt he couldn’t confide that secret to him.

This whole situation had brought up a lot of guilt for Stefan, for his part, or lack thereof. Knowing what their father was doing and doing nothing about it was just as bad as participating in the horrid acts himself. Giuseppe had loved Stefan, he knew that. He had given Stefan the best of everything, encouraged him to always strive for the best, never berating him or belittling him for any failures.

It had never really harmed the relationship between the brothers as humans. Damon had seemed resigned to his fate long before Stefan even begun to notice any injustices. He always knew Damon loved him, and wanted the best for his little brother, and though Stefan saw the stresses their father put on Damon, he always was there for his brother when he needed him.

But this final step could be the breaking point in their relationship. Stefan had already brought up so much pain for his brother in this regard. Would finding any living decedents finally drive his brother to complete madness and grief that he’d never recover? Would the anger and betrayal he’d feel from Stefan continuing finally drive that wedge between them that they couldn’t pass?

“Stefan?” Elena said softly next to him. He looked from the house he was staring at to Elena, feeling himself relax at her supportive exterior. “You don’t have to do this.” She told him. “But I think you would regret it if you don’t.”

He nodded in agreement. “I’m just worried. About Damon.” His voice cracked slightly as he spoke and he looked back at the house.

Elena leaned over the middle and placed a soft kiss on his temple and took his hand, squeezing his fingers in her own tightly, supportively.

“Damon will be fine Stefan. He’s stronger than we know.” She told him. And Stefan knew she was right, and with a final kiss, lasting a few seconds he released her hand and exited the car.

Walking up the long drive, Stefan’s undead heart felt as if it were beating a hundred miles an hour despite the fact it didn’t beat at all. A dog came running out from around the house at them, tongue out wagging in the wind as it approached them and playfully jumped around them.

“Hey there.” Elena said soothingly, bending down to pet it. The dog seemed to enjoy her touch as he licked her hand and circled around them.

“Her name is Ally.” A voice said, causing the two of them to look up. There on the front porch was a woman, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the rail of the stairs. “How can I help you?” She asked politely but guardedly.

Stefan and Elena stood up straighter and walked towards the woman. Stefan stopped in his tracks a few feet later though, mouth slight parted as he took in her raven black hair and soft blue eyes so much like his brothers, obviously the dominate trait.

He moved his mouth a few times but no words came out as he tried to say something. The woman quirked her eyebrow at him, the same way Damon did when he was exasperated at Stefan and he immediately closed his mouth, unable to say anything as the realization that he found his family hit him.

“I’m sorry we don’t mean to be a bother. We were just looking for information about someone who used to live here.” Elena said, stepping in front of Stefan. At that moment he was very glad he had brought his girlfriend with him.

The woman eyed the both of them carefully, causing a shiver to go down his spine at the familiarity of it before she responded. “And who would you be looking for? My family has lived here for over a hundred years.”

“We’re tracing an Arietta Aconi Salvatore Torseli.” Elena answered.

“She’s my…ancestor.” Stefan said, finally able to speak. He took a step closer to the woman and held out his hand. “I’m Stefan Salvatore.” He introduced. “And this is my girlfriend Elena.”

The woman blanched for a moment, arms dropping to the sides as her eyes went wide, making Stefan feel slightly nervous. He wasn’t sure why as the woman looked slightly wary, glancing back at the front door for a moment before turning back to them.

“Why are you here?” She asked, voice quivering apprehensively.            

“I just want to get to know my family. They are Salvatore’s.” He said.

The woman nodded, still not moving. “And then what?”

The question confused the two of them as he narrowed his brow. “Than nothing. I just want to get to know them. They deserve to know their family history.”

“Their history of being related to vampires you mean?” She asked.

Fear coursed through Stefan as questions popped up in his mind. He glanced next to him to Elena who seemed equally as shocked as he was, arms folded over her own chest as she took a step back away from the house and behind Stefan.

“How do you know about vampires?” He asked her surprised.

“It doesn’t matter. Are you here to hurt us?” She asked harshly.

Stefan shook his head, not exactly sure how to defuse the situation or even what the whole situation was. “I promise you I’m not here to hurt anyone. I really, just want to get to know my family.” He took a few steps closer to her.

The woman nodded her head in understanding though her look was still hard and apprehensive. “Please, come in.” She said quietly.

Stefan and Elena glanced at each other before following her inside. They stopped at the entrance and Stefan took a good look around the room. It was comfortable and cozy; open like Elena’s home but not as out of proportions like his own home.

Photos scattered the walls and on all the surfaces, Stefan’s eyes looked at every single one of them, hungry to see the people he didn’t know, recognizing the family resemblance in almost everyone pictured. Trinkets scattered the place, obvious signs of children and a happy home surrounded him and his heart lifted.

“Can I offer you a drink? I have some fresh made ice tea.” The woman offered. Elena accepted for them as they walked further into the room, sitting down on the couch where the woman had indicated and waited for her to bring the drinks out.

The two of them sat in companionable silence while they waited, Elena grabbing his hand from his lap again, and he felt her support. The sound of his phone ringing from his pocket caused the both of them to jump slightly before he quickly reached in and grabbed it. Looking at the screen and seeing Damon’s name, Stefan felt his heart sink a little bit and debated not answering, but knowing that would not go over well.

“Hey, I’m a little busy.” Stefan said in way of greeting as he answered.

“Yes, I know you’re all busy with your little weekend with Elena, I was just wondering when you were going to be coming back.” Damon said on the other end.

Stefan sighed annoyed and was about to reply when he picked up on sounds in the background. “Are you having a party?” He asked. Damon gave a slight snicker on the other end.

“Hence why I’m asking. See cause, I have some wonderful new friends here and I was just trying to be a-“

Stefan didn’t hear anymore as he hung up the phone while the woman entered the living room again with tall glasses of ice tea and a plate of fresh baked cookies. He silenced his phone as she set it down, and gave her a smile of thanks.

“I’m sorry, we are so rude, we didn’t get your name.” Elena said as she picked up a cookie politely and took a small bite.

“My name is Leora. My children will be home soon, I’ve called them.” Leora said.

“I’d love to meet them. It’s really great to find you.” Stefan told her, giving her a warm smile.

“I’m sorry about, what I said. We’re just cautious. Vampires don’t really inspire really good thoughts.” She stated, clasping her hands tightly in her lap.

It was then that Stefan noticed the ring that was on her left middle finger, instantly recognizing it as his grandmothers. A small smile played on his lips, glad to know it was still being passed down, wondering if they knew the story behind it.

“You should be careful Leora. Vampires as a species are dangerous on the best of days.”

“I’d hate to see you on a bad day then.” She joked. The three shared a small laugh, the atmosphere turning from tense to comfortable.

“That ring, is very old.” Stefan commented, sipping from his glass of ice tea.

“It was my mothers, and her mother’s before her. It’s been passed down through the years to the eldest daughter. Once my own daughter turns twenty one, it will go to her.” Leora explained, lifting her hand and looking at the ring as it glittered in the light.

“It was once an engagement ring.” Stefan told her. “It’s one of the most precious, most coveted Salvatore family heirlooms.”

Leora watched him for a second, before looking down at the ring again. “Did, well did you come for it?” She asked hesitantly. Stefan shook his head. Though he knew she would give it to him if he asked, the ring was where it was supposed to be. The ring went to Damon, the oldest son and passed down to his daughter.

“No, I don’t want it. It belongs to you,, and soon y our daughter.” He told her kindly.

There were so many questions that Stefan wanted to ask but he wasn’t even sure where to start. He hadn’t exactly planned on them knowing about vampires already, and hadn’t even planned on ever telling them. If he were honest with himself, he wasn’t quite sure what he was going to tell them.

“How did you learn about vampires?” Elena asked, coming to his rescue again. He had no idea how she did it but she always seemed to know what to do in a social situation.

Leora watched the both of them for a moment, another looked he recognized from Damon. “My great grandmother four or five times removed, Arietta, she discovered it.”

“How?” Stefan asked confused.

“From what my father told me, she traced the Salvatore’s to a small town in Virginia called Mystic Falls. When she got there however they had all died, killed in some event in 1864, but she ran across a man named Jonathan Gilbert. He apparently was shocked to see her but not surprised as he had seen her as a child.”

“That’s my ancestor.” Elena told her. “Jonathan Gilbert, he wrote about her in his journal, that’s how we discovered her. But we hadn’t gotten to the later ones. I didn’t know that he’d seen her again.”

“Yes well, he told her this amazing story about vampires in Mystic Falls. She didn’t believe him at first but he had enough proof. With that he told her about her father Damon and his younger brother, Stefan.” She eyed Stefan at that and he nodded in confirmation.

“If she knew that Damon and I were out there, why didn’t she search more for us?” He asked curiously. He knew that he would search everywhere if it was him, but by the look on Leora’s face, Arietta wouldn’t have agreed.

“Jonathan told her of your father’s death, and that you were the one to do. She was frightened, to say the least and Jonathan had convinced her that it would be best if she just went on with her life and forget everything.”

“She obviously didn’t if you know about it.” Stefan prodded.

Once more Leora watched him, seemingly debating what to tell him, her head tilted to the right slightly as in thought, another trait of Damon’s. Stefan wondered idly if she would permit him to do studies on them on dominate traits through a family line as she seemed to possess so much of a great grandfather she never knew.

Seemingly making a decision, Leora stood up from her seat and walked out of the room. Stefan and Elena sat quietly waiting for her to return, not sure what she was doing. When she returned she had a medium sized box in her arms that she set on the coffee table in front of Stefan and Elena once he moved the tray with their refreshments.

Sitting back down in the chair she had vacated, she placed her hand over the top of the box, tapping her fingers nervously. “Arietta didn’t pursue her father any further in fear of putting her family in danger. By the time she discovered what happened she was engaged and about to be married. But that she still had hoped that someday, Damon might seek her out in curiosity.”

With that Leora took the top off the box and Stefan peered inside. There were several books that looked like journals, many enveloped letters and a mass quantity of photos, with the ones on top being the most recent. “She left this for him, but since you’re here I’ll give it to you. She wanted him to know her, to know her family.” She said.

“This is…amazing.” Elena gasped out next to him.

“Arietta wrote in journals, letters to her father. When they were old enough she then told her children, some who wrote letters, or journals, but we all kept adding photos and other stuff over the years into here.” Leora explained proudly.

Stefan felt a tear slid down his cheek unknowingly as he reached tentatively into the box and pulled out a few of the pictures that littered the top of the box, looking at the smiling faces of children and adults, the same that littered the house. The feelings inside of him welled up and he felt as if he were going to burst.

“I can’t believe this.” He whispered. “This is Damon’s legacy.”

***

The rest of the evening had been spent with Leora and her two children as they went through the things in the box that had been collected throughout the generations. The children, Sasha and William were eager to learn all they could about vampires, and didn’t seem afraid at all in the knowledge of their relation to not one, but two of them and asked Stefan endless questions, a lot even he didn’t even think about until asked.

Despite how tired Stefan felt as they left late that night, with a promise to Leora, Sasha, and William to come back soon, and with Damon in tow, he was too elated to just go to a hotel and sleep. Leora had offered them the guest room but he declined, having a need to get back to Mystic Falls and to Damon with the box of treasures.

He drove through the night, with Elena leaning against him fast asleep, unable to keep her eyes open any longer as he hit the freeway. He enjoyed the quietness and her company. It allowed him to think, to process, to come up with a game plan on what to do and how to approach Damon when he got home.

It was still very early morning when Stefan pulled up to Elena’s house and gently shook her awake. She looked around blearily before realizing they were at her house and not at the Salvatore Boarding House where she had expected them to go.

“Why are we here?” She asked sleepily, stretching her body out as she stepped out of the car. Stefan stood next to her, hand on the car door he had just opened for her and watched her, wanting to just wrap his arms tightly around her and hold her close.

“Well it’s almost six am; I thought you might want to sleep a bit more before school.” He stated as he walked around to the trunk of his car to take out her bag. He walked her up the front steps slowly, Elena still trying to get her bearings.

“I wanted to be there with you when you talked to Damon.” She pouted slightly, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and placing a kiss on his lips. Stefan closed his eyes, placing his hands on her waist as he pressed slightly into her deepening the kiss more, taking the moment to just revel in the feeling of Elena and the peace that she brought him.

Too soon for his liking though he pulled away, not wanting things to go too much further. He was eager to get home. “I want you there Elena, but-“

“It’s something that you have to do alone.” She finished for him, placing a chaste kiss on his lips again. “I understand Stefan. Just know that I’m here for you if you need me.”

With a final kiss that lasted more than a minute, Elena finally pulled away from Stefan and grabbed her bag from him, placing her hand on the door knob, turning it slightly Stefan waited for her to go inside, but she stopped and turned back to him, eyes sad as she bit her lower lip in thought.

“Don’t let him push you away Stefan.” She said. “He’s always pushing people away, keeping them at a distance. He needs you, and he needs to know them or in the very least, know that his daughter that I know without a shadow of a doubt he would have loved with every fiber of his being, ended up ok.”

Stefan nodded, not sure what to say to her. She was right of course, and he was determined to not let Damon go on this. He was going to fight his brother with everything he had, even if it ended whatever truce and peace they had ended up with over the past year.

“I won’t Elena, I promise.” He said gravely, swallowing the emotions that he still felt in his chest. “I think one of his biggest fears is that she hadn’t had a good life, and that’s why he fights this.” Elena nodded in agreement.

“But she had a beautiful life Stefan, and he deserves that comfort of knowing.” With that she finally opened the door and stepped in.

Stefan waited on the porch, listening as her footsteps went up the stairs and into her room, wanting to make sure that Elena was safe before he went home. Hearing the shower turn on, he decided it was time to go face the music, face his brother and his wrath at hearing what Stefan had been doing all weekend.

***

Stefan pulled up to the boarding house expecting to see a bunch of cars and garbage around the yard leftover from whatever party Damon had been hinting he was having, but much to his surprise, there were no other cars in the driveway and the lawn was picture perfect just the way he left it.

With slightly less apprehension as he had had a moment before Stefan got out of his car, leaving behind his bags in favor of the large box that Leora had given him and carried it up to the house, bracing himself for whatever mess might still be inside.

Again to his surprise everything was neat and orderly and if Damon had had a party, there was no evidence of it that he could see. Tilting his head slightly to the side, Stefan listened for all the sounds in the house telling him who all were there. Aside from the normal creaks and groans of the house and the soft ticking from the many clocks that littered the place, the only other sound that Stefan could hear was the soft breathing of his brother upstairs, apparently asleep.

With a sigh of relief that he wouldn’t have to deal with any random humans that his brother may have partied with and used as meals, he turned to his left and headed up the stairs to Damon’s room. The prospect of facing his brother terrified him, and Stefan was well aware that the chances of being staked would be slightly lower if he waited until Damon woke up naturally on his own, but he couldn’t wait.

The box of photos and other memorabilia weighed heavily in his super strong arms and he needed to give them to Damon. He needed to see his face when he realized what Stefan had done. And while he held no delusions of the anger he will throw at Stefan, he was prepared for it, because seeing the joy on his face after would be so worth it. To finally see some form of relief for his brother was something he was honored to give him, because Elena had been right, and Stefan knew it from the beginning.

Damon fought him on it because he was afraid. Their father who had spent Damon’s entire life purposely hurting him had killed the woman he loved and took away his child. The man had no love for his son, and Stefan knew from the moment Damon told him the story that pride be damned, being Salvatore or not, it was more to Giuseppe then Claire not being good enough for the Salvatore name. He hadn’t voiced it, not to Damon, not wanting to hurt him though Damon most likely knew, and definitely not to Elena who found it so hard to grasp that a parent could hurt their own children so badly. His father may have spared Arietta and allowed the trust because she was a Salvatore, but Giuseppe had killed Claire and separated Damon from Arietta for the soul purpose of hurting his son. It was the ultimate move that had broken his son and kept him compliant and under his thumb at least until Katherine came around.

Stefan didn’t like to think of such things, didn’t like to remember what being human was like because then he’d have to remember the injustice done to his brother. As a human he obviously didn’t know about Claire and Arietta but he wasn’t blind to the abuse his brother frequently went through. Stefan saw the bruises, the broken bones. He saw his brother pushed hard by his father to keep up reports and learn the family business that Stefan had learned early on would not be going to Damon, but to him instead.

Reaching his brothers door, he listened for a moment before opening it to hear if he was still asleep or not. His soft quiet breath came to his ear indicating he hadn’t heard Stefan’s arrival, and with that he pushed opened the door slowly into Damon’s very large but mostly empty room.

Slowly he made his way to the bed in the opposite corner, laying the box gently on the corner of it and looking at his brother for a moment. He rarely ever saw him like this, quiet and seemingly at peace. He looked vulnerable but Stefan knew Damon was anything but.

He took the momentary reprieve before waking him to look around the room more. He had been in it many times over the course of the years, Damon claiming the room as his not long after the boarding house had been built. Unlike Stefan’s own room in the attic which was smaller and cluttered with items he’s collected over the century and a half of his existence, Damon’s room was quite bare.

Aside from the furniture which seemed wildly out of proportion to the size of the room, there were very little if any knickknacks and trinkets around. It was much like his room as a human too. He remembered asking Damon once, when he was smaller why his room seemed so bare, and Damon had told him of a time their mother accused him of breaking a vase that he did not break. Their father had punished him but it wasn’t enough for their mother. She had gone into his room while he was sleeping and took away all his toys.

Stefan remembered feeling so sad for Damon, and had cried at hearing the story. His brother had just hugged him tightly telling him not to worry, that everything turned out fine. Damon had learned that possessing nothing of interest, material items couldn’t be used to hurt him.

Stefan didn’t understand, and Damon just smiled and said that maybe someday he would but Stefan didn’t like it, and that night, after Damon had gone to bed, Stefan had snuck into his bedroom and left one of his toy soldiers on Damon’s desk.

So many things of their human existence had been starting to make sense to him in the past few weeks and he felt exhausted, and guilty. He felt like he ignored everything that had been wrong and that his ignorance and blind eye had just helped further what had been happening.

Taking a step closer to his brothers sleeping form he watched him, studying his features and the way his chest would rise up and down slowly as he breathed, not that they needed to. Vampires didn’t need sleep, or air but it was more out of something to do and habit that they did it.

Stefan stared at his brother’s lean form, covered by a dark maroon comforter that lay around his waist. He wore a grey t-shirt, a lose one for once with one arm laying on top of his chest and the other arm up with his hand resting next to his face, fingers slightly curled. He took a moment to take in his brothers’ complexion, which was lighter than it was when he was human, due to technically being dead, but if he looked hard enough Stefan could still see the light tanned skin Damon used to possess.

Stefan took after their father, with the lighter hair and the green eyes. Damon had taken after their mother with the same raven black hair and sky blue eyes with a dark circle around the outside that made them more piercing. That with the combination of his dark lashes had made Damon quite a catch for the ladies of Mystic Falls, but thinking back now, he couldn’t remember his brother ever courting anyone, even Katherine.

Furrowing his brow Stefan thought back in time, trying to remember all the parties and events they had been forced to attend over the years due to being one of the founding families. He didn’t recall ever seeing Damon with a date to any of them, or loitering in a group with others his age. Stefan had been truthful when he told Elena that people liked him well enough, but that he didn’t have any real friends that he recalled. People were always polite to Damon, and he danced with many of the young women who paid him attention but Stefan couldn’t recall Damon courting anyone. It made no sense to him now, thinking about it. His brother was quite handsome if he said so himself, he was well off, intelligent and well bred, and yet there had been no interest in him and at age of twenty three when they died, his brother was still unattached, something unheard of and almost disgraceful.

Even with Katherine, the town had seen Stefan and her together. Damon was the polite Salvatore who would accompany her places within town when Stefan had been busy with lessons or meetings his father forced him to attend, but no one connected the two of them together. Giuseppe had been pushing Stefan toward Katherine, saying she was a woman of good breeding and would make a good wife for him, obviously oblivious to Damon and Katherine’s night visits to each other.

It bothered him greatly knowing that the girl he was falling for, though he’s still not quite sure how or why or if it was real now, that she had been with his brother as well at the same time. He had expressed to her several times his displeasure in that fact and though she had always brushed them off, reminding him of her no rules policy, he didn’t protest as much as he could have because he knew that Damon was in love with Katherine.

Stefan was sure that if he had gone to Damon early on and confessed his attraction to Katherine than Damon would have backed off. That’s what he should have done, but he didn’t. Seeing how happy Damon had become when he was with Katherine, had caused him to ignore it, even after figuring out that she had been with Damon. His brother was in love with someone for what he thought was the first time and seeing him as happy as he was erased any protesting he should have made. Stepping aside had also been an option, but Katherine had compelled him so much in their short time together, Stefan couldn’t honestly tell anyone what had happened between the three of them with any degree of certainty.

Movement on the bed caused Stefan to jump slightly as he came out of his own memories and looked toward his brother again who had rolled over a little bit but still slept. Feeling that he had stood in Damon’s room, reminiscing creepily while his brother was oblivious long enough, Stefan closed the remaining distance between the two of them and placed his hand gently on Damon’s shoulder, shaking him slightly.

The reaction was immediate as one second Stefan was leaning over his brother and the next second he was pressed on his back on the bed with Damon’s hand tightly around his neck on top of him, eyes narrowed furiously as he took in his intruder.

Stefan choked slightly as he grabbed onto Damon’s wrist with both hands as the hand squeezed tighter blocking all airways, staring up into his brothers confused eyes for what felt like an eternity until recognition finally registered in the blue eyes and the hand released from his neck.

Coughing harshly Stefan turned on his side wrapping his own hand where Damon’s had just been and wincing at the feeling of bruises and crushed bones healed themselves.

“Damn it Stefan, what the hell.” Damon cursed at him as he slumped back against his pillows.

Stefan coughed a few more times, lying fully onto the comfortable bed before responding. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“About what Stefan?” Damon growled out. Stefan rolled his eyes sitting up on his elbows and glared at his brother. For someone who didn’t really need sleep, Damon sure wasn’t a morning person.

Letting that thought and any snarky comment go, Stefan gave a tired sight and kicked his shoes off before crossing his legs in front of him and resting his elbows on his thighs looking at Damon thoughtfully as his brother quirked up his perfect brow in expectation.

“Please brother, make yourself at home.” Damon said peeved.

Stefan didn’t rise to the occasion, not wanting to get into a verbal sparring match with Damon at the moment. Instead he just studied his brother for a few more moments, choosing carefully what his first words should be. If he said the wrong thing, Damon would bolt straight for the door, which wasn’t what Stefan wanted.

“What’s with the box? Are you moving out? Getting that cute little one bedroom with Elena?” Damon teased, causing Stefan to smile for the first time since he left her at home.

“Actually it’s something for you.” He said softly, watching his brother cock his head to the side curiously.

“It’s not my birthday brother.” He said easily, and Stefan just shrugged.

Deciding it was time to now tell Damon what he had been up to all weekend; Stefan scooted closer to the edge of the bed so he could get up quickly and stop Damon if he tried to flee. With the box behind him and one leg dangling off the side of the tall bed, Stefan placed his hands in his lap and looked directly at his brother.

“I found her.” He said simply, leaving it at that.

Damon crinkled his brow confused for a moment before realization hit him and his eyes widened. “You did what?” He asked, voice hard and threatening, but Stefan wasn’t afraid.

“I found Arietta Damon.” He told him, but Damon shook his head not believing him.

“She’s dead Stefan, there’s no way you could have found her. I told you to drop this.” He scowled.

“Yes, she died in 1942, but she had a family, and I found them.”

Faster than he thought was possible Damon was off the bed and heading for the door, but Stefan had anticipated it and stopped him before he could reach it.

“Stefan-“

“Her family lives, they’re in Southbridge.”

“Stefan stop!”

“Her name is Leora and she has two kids and a dog and-“

Stefan couldn’t finish his sentence as Damon’s fist came crashing down across his face. He lifted his hands and pushed Damon away from him before he could throw another punch and grabbed his wrists restraining him as Damon fought hard to break his hold and pummel Stefan.

Stefan held on steadfast as he pushed against Damon in a battle of wills. It went on like that for several minutes until suddenly Damon stopped fighting and just fell to the ground, first on his knees then on his rear. Stefan let go of him then, standing in front of him cautiously for any aggressive movement but Damon seemed to be out of it now as he placed both hands over his face covering it completely before falling forward to touch the floor.

The silence of the room permeated around the two of them, the only sounds were their breathing. Stefan was at a loss on what to do, what to say. He had become closer to his brother in the past year but they hadn’t truly been brothers since 1864 and he was at a loss on how to handle Damon, and that thought alone broke his heart a little bit more.

As humans he had always been close to Damon, always able to speak to each other freely, and now standing over him, watching Damon slowly break, acting out of what he was used to him being, it made him yearn for their earlier years.

Since turning, Stefan wasn’t blind to the immediate changes of the two of them. His blood addiction had driven his brother away from him, forced him to be on his own, to learn, to live, to be. Stefan was oblivious to anything around him while in his years of bloodlust, ripping through cities and towns until Lexi, his friend would catch up with him and help him. It was painful and long but he was grateful for Lexi. No matter how bad things got he knew he could at least count on Lexi to pull him back and to help him.

Thinking on what the years must have been like for Damon, he couldn’t even fathom. While bitter and angry at Stefan for forcing him to turn, Damon had at least seemed himself when they met in 1912. In ’42, he seemed jolly and very glad to see his brother and easily buried the hatchet with him. He even wanted to go to Egypt with him though it never happened. Stefan had been hurt at being abandoned but he never held any ill will toward Damon, somehow guessing that Lexi might have had something to do with it.

It wasn’t until the 60’s and 70’s when he heard about the mass amount of bodies in the New England area and discovered it was Damon. His brother had turned off his humanity in the late 50’s and it remained off for a good part of twenty years, a long time to have the switch turned even for a vampire. He couldn’t even pretend to imagine what event had been so horrible, so traumatizing that it would cause such a severe reaction in his brother. Stefan had been too afraid to ask, too afraid to know the answer.

The whole thing has caused Stefan a lot of grief and anguish, but every time anyone’s ever asked why he tries so hard with Damon, why he keeps giving Damon more chances, why he doesn’t just give up on his brother, well that’s the reason. He forced Damon into turning when all he wanted was to die and over the years he eventually got broken, and while Stefan has no delusions that he could fix his brother, he refused to just give up and abandon him.

With that in mind, Stefan kneeled down on the floor in front of his brother slowly. Damon made no move to stop him or try to escape again and Stefan took that as a good sign. Reaching out hesitantly, he placed his hand on the back of Damon’s head and curled his fingers slightly into the soft silky curls.

They sat like that for a while, Damon hunched over and Stefan gently stroking his hair. His brother would do that for him when he was sick or scared. Stefan closed his eyes and let the memory of Damon holding him close next to the fire in his room while lightning and thunder battled angrily outside the windows. His brother would tell him stories to try to distract him as Stefan buried his face into Damon’s chest, enjoying the clean smell that came off him and the feeling of Damon’s fingers as they brushed through his hair.

He would always fall asleep by the end of the story and would wake up in his bed, all tucked in and safe the next morning.

“Damon-“

“Don’t.” Damon shouted, sitting up quickly and glaring at him angrily. Stefan let his hand fall down to his lap. “Just don’t.”

They sat in silence again, but this time Stefan was able to see his brothers face, see the anger in his eyes directed at him. He also saw the tears that fell from his eyes in anguish, and for the first time since this all began, he wished he had listened to Damon.

“I’m sorry.” He swallowed, looking down at the floor, unable to look anymore into Damon’s eyes.

“If you’re sorry why did you do it?” Damon bit out. “I told you what happened. You had your answers. Why did you not leave it?”

Swallowing again Stefan looked back up to Damon, but the anger had melted away from his eyes and all that was left was sadness and pain. Things he had rarely ever seen on him since they became vampires.

“I just, wanted to know them.” He admitted somberly. “I wanted family.”

Damon broke contact from Stefan and looked away causing Stefan to want to force him to look back, to gain that contact back. But he closed his eyes tightly instead as if in pain, pursing his lips in tight in a manner Stefan recognized from when they were human.

“Am I not enough for you brother?” He asked hopelessly.

With Damon’s words echoing in his mind, Stefan gave up all pretenses of how they were now and scooted closer to his brother, taking his hands in his own and squeezing tightly, afraid to let go.

“Damon, it was never about that.” Stefan started, forcing Damon to look at him. “We are both so lucky to be able to still have each other, do you not realize? Vampires don’t have siblings. Their families die leaving them alone. We have each other.”

“And Zach, until I killed him.” Damon said, but Stefan shook his head disagreeing.

“No, we didn’t. He had the family name only because the real Salvatore brothers were dead. That line was family in blood only; we had nothing to do with them. But when Elena and I found that picture of Arietta, I don’t know, just the prospect that we could have other family out there, how could I ignore it?”

“Because I asked you to, that’s how. You should have listened to me!” Damon ripped his hands away from Stefan and stood up, wiping away the tears that had streaked down his face.

Stefan stood as well, following Damon as he sat back on his bed bringing the covers up over his chest, leaning against the headboard. Stefan sat opposite him, crossing his legs again and watching his brother, relaxing at bit believing that his brother won’t bolt on him again.

Swallowing again, ignoring the pain in his throat as a reminder that he hadn’t fed recently, Stefan picked at the invisible lint on Damon’s comforter for a moment or two, gathering his thoughts once more.

“I guess…I guess I just don’t understand why you aren’t more interested in this.” Stefan confessed. “This is your family, from your line Damon.”

“I know.”

“I know, you know, but do you understand?” Stefan pleaded.

Damon closed his eyes again for a moment and then opened them again. “I guess what I don’t understand is why it’s so important to you Stefan.”

“Because Damon, even before we turned, this was taken away from us. Our father shot us and we died.” He stated wistfully. “Once he did that, all chance of a family left us and all we were left with was some illegitimate half-brother from one of fathers numerous affairs.”

“We had each other Stefan.” Damon reminded him somberly.

Stefan nodded his head agreeing, leaning towards his brother. “We did Damon, even though we abandoned each other…” Stefan closed his eyes grimacing. “Even though I abandoned you…” He reopened them and looked directly at Damon. “We at least had each other even if we weren’t together.”

Turning around a bit Stefan grabbed the large box that was behind him and placed it in between Damon and himself, placing his hand on the lid he tapped it gently for a moment before grabbing the edges to pull the top off.

Damon stopped him, slamming his hand on the lid of the box, staring at it wide eyed as if already knowing what was contained in it. The fear that his brother felt was palpable, but Stefan didn’t push it further yet, giving Damon time to choose for himself. But then Damon’s wide sad eyes moved from the boxes lid and up to Stefan, and he felt a chill run down his spine at the expression from his brother.

He watched as his brothers lips moved slightly trying to formulate words but nothing would come out, so he swallowed hard, taking a deep breath and then tried again, and suddenly Stefan was desperate to hear whatever his brother might say.

“I didn’t want you to pursue this Stefan.” He repeated and Stefan nodded.

“I know Damon, but-“

“I asked you, and demanded you let it go but you didn’t. You say I don’t understand the idea that we could have real live family, but you don’t understand the pain that it represents.”

“Damon I-“

“No, listen, just listen now.” Damon said stoically. Taking a beat Stefan leaned further into the box, anxiously listening. “You see hope for a family, to pass on the family legacy, the family secrets, the family junk. To get to know them, and love them, and have something real to keep you tethered to your humanity. I get that Stefan, I do, and it’s beautiful, it truly is and, I’m glad you now have that. As much as this pains me, and as much as I’m pissed at you and I want to fucking stake you right now and rip your head off…I’m glad that you didn’t give up and you now have them.”

“You have them now too Damon.” Stefan protested, but Damon just raised his hand to silence him.

“I know. I do, I know that. I’m not going to waste this Stefan, but, you’re going to have to give me time. Because while this is a blessing and relief for you, this is nothing but pain for me.”

“Damon I-“

“No!” Damon shouted standing up from the bed and towering over Stefan. “Shut up, Stefan, just Shut the fuck up. Listen to me.” He shouted practically begging, so Stefan shut his mouth and listened, watching as Damon started pacing his room like a caged animal, his movements sharp and agitated, distressed by everything.

“Ok.” Stefan conceded, as Damon stopped in front of him.

“I could have had a family.” Damon started, his voice cracking with emotion. “Claire loved me Stefan. She loved me. To her I wasn’t some invisible drone tasked to obey every order. She didn’t hurt me, she cared about me, and she cared for me. For the first time in my life I was happy.” A tear dropped down Stefan’s cheek but he made no move to wipe it away as he listened to his brother’s cries.

“You are upset that I would leave you Stefan and I get that but you have to understand…” Damon placed his hands on Stefan shoulders, bringing his face close to his. “I was dying Stefan.”

Damon released his brother and began pacing again, arms wrapped tightly around himself. “I know you think we had a perfect life, the life of privileged wealthy white people in the common wealth of Virginia, but we didn’t, or I didn’t. I was unhappy Stefan. I was hurt, I was lonely, and I was tired of everything.”

Damon stopped pacing and stood in front of Stefan once again. “Remember, I told you we met in the woods?”

Stefan nodded, as Damon swallowed.

“I wasn’t there just walking Stefan. I met her at the top of the falls; I was standing on the ledge when she came up behind me.”

“Damon wha-“

“I was going to kill myself Stefan.” Damon told him. “I couldn’t take it anymore, everything was just so jumbled and messy, and I just needed it to end.”

Numbness spread through Stefan’s body listening to his brother’s plea for him to understand. He had been so close to losing his brother, a lot sooner than he ever thought possible.

“Obviously, you didn’t.” Stefan replied stolid biting the inside of his lip to stop all the questions and accusations that were bubbling up in his mind at the confession.

“No, Claire came out and startled me. She saw the tears in my eyes and my position and she tried so hard to talk me out of it. She was so kind Stefan. Like Elena. I know it bothers you that I’m close to her, but she, she just reminds me so much of Claire.

When we married, I was the happiest man in the world. I wanted the world for her which is why we waited to leave. But then father found out and you know the rest.”

With one final pace around the room, Damon then sat back in the place he had vacated before his story. For once Stefan wasn’t sure what to say, never seeing this part of Damon before. It scared him how vulnerable he was at that moment as Damon was always the strong one, always.

Stefan turned his body towards Damon, the box back in between them once more with Damon’s hand on the top of it, his finger drawing invisible shapes on it.

“I’m sorry Damon.” Was all Stefan could say, and Damon’s finger stopped moving as he looked back up to Stefan.

“I know you are Stefan. This is a good thing, it is., but, this is also hard. I could have had a family Stefan. A loving wife, a beautiful daughter, perhaps other children in a little home tucked away someplace away from everything in Mystic Falls. I would have grown up, grown old, and died happy with fat grandchildren surrounding me.” He said sadly.

“You still could have had that before Katherine came along.” Stefan said. “I cannot tell you how much I regret convincing father to allow her to stay.”

Damon brushed off his comment with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about it Stefan. Once Claire died, I knew I would never have what I wanted, especially if father had anything to say about it. With Katherine, I loved her, but not the same as Claire.”

“I know you did, I should have backed off then.” This was the first time ever that the boys had spoken in regards to Katherine like this, and hearing Damon’s side of it made the view Stefan had had change drastically.

“You were compelled Stefan, I knew you were. Katherine, represented freedom from the world I was bound to. From all the pain I was in, and from father. She understood pain and loss and she was going to take me away from it all.”

“But you wanted to die Damon! I never understood that. You wanted to become a vampire, and then you wanted to die.” Stefan argued.

“Because she was going to show me Stefan. I loved her and she was special to me and she was gone, just like Claire, and just like you, and I didn’t want to do it. I couldn’t.”

The guilt that Stefan had always felt in regards to forcing his brother to turn grew exponentially now at hearing the truth. For the first time in a hundred and fifty years, Stefan wished that he would have just let Damon die as he wished, but he quickly shook that thought away. He regretted the action but he didn’t regret doing it. He loved his brother, and didn’t want to lose him.

“And to answer your question from a few days ago, I didn’t go looking for her because I didn’t have any information, even their gender, and I was a monster. I could barely control the bloodlust and I didn’t want to risk hurting her, so I let it go. I knew she would be well off, I left almost everything to her in the trust father let me set up. I had no need for money and wealth. I was going to live out my life until it ended.” With that Stefan knew the story had ended. Damon had told him everything he was willing to reveal, bearing his soul in a way he had never done before, and Stefan was honored that he was allowed to see it.

***

The brothers spent the next few hours slowly going through the contents of the box, pulling out photos and letters, reading school reports that their family was proud of. Stefan was impressed, though not surprised by how intelligent Damon’s decedents were.

The two of them laughed and pointed out resemblances with other family members long past gone. However a trait that Stefan pointed out, almost immediately was the raven hair and the blue eyes. No matter whom the people in the photos chose as partners, the Salvatore gene remained strong and present.

Eventually they reached the bottom of the box; the only remaining objects left were what were placed by Arietta. They had carefully skirted around them, digging through everything else before finally reach them. Everything else had been a treat but the last remaining were the real treasures in the huge box, for they were Arietta’s, the direct link to Damon.

They pulled the remaining items out slower now, taking time to fully appreciate, read, look, and memorize every single piece that was in there. The last item was three old books with leather bindings and aged paper inside. Stefan could tell right away that they were journals as he handed the first one over to Damon who took it gingerly, almost afraid of what contents would lie within.

“They’re letters.” Damon said softly as he opened the old cover to the first page, running his fingers lightly over the words as if his fingertips could absorb them into his skin, to imprint it onto his soul.

Stefan watched Damon swallow back emotions that even he could see were bubbling just below the surface of his tight self-control, berating himself for bringing this on him, but not sorry for it. Damon need this, they both did. With this discovery will come a new tie to hold them to their humanity, to tie them to life.

_“Dear father.”_ Damon’s hoarse voice started. _“It’s been almost two months since I visited Mystic Falls and discovered your fate. I didn’t want to believe it at first, calling that man insane and continuing my search. The story he told of your fate and that of my mother was something straight from Poe himself._

_But deep inside of me I know it to be true. I wish to find you, to know you, but as a creature of darkness I can’t begin to hope that I or that of my family would be safe. However I choose to believe that someday you shall look for me, and though I may be long gone, I want you to know me, to know the child that was taken away from you._

_So with that, I shall do as I’ve always done, and write in this diary and chronicle my life, my thoughts, my feelings so that one day if it comes true, it would be as if you were with me all along._

_Arietta._

Stefan let out a breath he wasn’t aware that he had been holding as Damon finished reading. He stared at his brother, categorizing every minute tick of his posture and expression, the way he clenched his jaw and closed his eyes.

This was meant for Damon.

Standing up from his spot, he stood next to the bed and placed a hand on Damon’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze before letting his hand drop.

“I’ll leave you to that.” He said faintly. “I’ll bring you a blood bag in a bit.”

Not waiting for a response, not really expecting one as his brother turned the page of the worn diary; Stefan turned away and walked towards the bedroom door. Closing it behind him softly he leaned against it for a moment, staring at the ceiling and taking deep breaths.

‘This is a good thing.’ He told himself, taking another deep breath and letting it out slowly.

Hearing a car approaching the long driveway to the Salvatore house, Stefan stood up straight and vamped his way quickly to the front door, stopping whoever it was from coming to the door alerting Damon to their presence.

Flinging open the large door, a smile spread across his face seeing Elena’s SUV pulling up, and pulled out his phone. It was late afternoon and school was out already. Hadn’t noticed how much time had passed. Like the last hundred and fifty years, the hours just went by in a blur as they looked through the box of memories.

Closing the door behind him, Stefan approached Elena as she exited the car, grabbing her hand in his and dragged her in the opposite direction towards the woods beyond the property. She laughed as he did so and he turned around, grabbing her other hand as he walked them backwards further in, stopping every now and then to place a chaste kiss upon her lips.

“Hey, what has you in a good mood?” Elena giggled once he finally stopped near a small pond nearby. “I take it everything went well with Damon?”

She had no idea how well and Stefan didn’t even know where to begin or explain. If he were honest with himself he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to. It felt like for the first time since they turned, he finally had his brother back, or at least the prospect of having his brother back. Until the opportunity came Stefan hadn’t realized just how much he missed that connection, but now he felt he had a chance, and he was going to take it.

And this time he was going to hold onto it.

Wrapping his arms around Elena, surrounding her entirely and placing a gentle kiss on her crown, he smiled. Her arms encircled his body automatically and he felt warm and loved and he never wanted to let go of the light feeling he felt inside of him.

“It went very well.” He told her honestly, leaving it at that, as he stared back in the direction of his house, where his brother currently was, gaining the last of his missing humanity back.

For the first time since he turned, Stefan felt completely at peace with the world.

 

The End


End file.
